


The Ruse

by Happy45



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28982805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy45/pseuds/Happy45
Summary: After hearing how nervous Sylvie is to go home for her brother's wedding and face her nosey relatives and ex-fiancés, Matt offers to go with her for back-up. As the weekend progresses, Matt and Sylvie find themselves in a dangerous web of lies as they decide to pretend they're dating to keep Sylvie's family off her back.What could go possibly wrong?
Relationships: Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 186
Kudos: 242





	1. Ambushed

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is just a fun little thing I wanted to write to relieve us from the angst that is the show right now. 
> 
> There isn't really any timeline on this, just that Brett and Casey are really good friends with big feelings for one another (and everybody knows it).
> 
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter!

**Chapter One - Ambushed**

_Sylvie, really.”_

Sylvie felt her whole-body tense as her mother chastised her down the line. Their shift had barely started and already Sylvie could tell it was going to be a testing one. Any shift that started with her mother berating her over the phone was never a good one.

“Mom—”

“Your brother has _graciously_ given you a plus-one to his wedding so you could bring a date and you’re not going to take it?” Martha questioned incredulously.

It was the day before Tom Brett’s ‘weekend wedding extravaganza’ and Martha had called Sylvie in a last-ditch attempt to _guilt_ her into bringing a date – but Sylvie was adamant that she didn’t _want_ or _need_ one. Why would she bring a random stranger to her brother’s wedding just to suit Martha’s insane desire that Sylvie settle down? She hated that her mother spoke as if it was the _only_ thing that would bring value to her life.

“No, I’m not. I don’t really have the time to date anyone right now mom and I’m not going to just pick someone off the street.” Sylvie replied, the frustration evident only slightly in her voice.

“Well I would be concerned if you felt the need to just pick someone off the street…” Martha grumbled. “I just think it would be a fun opportunity for you to spend time with someone you care about—”

“I will be spending time with people I care about – my family.” Sylvie reasoned. “So can we please drop the subject?”

“Fine.” Martha said through her teeth. “You were never this stubborn when you lived in Fowlerton, Chicago has changed you.”

 _Chicago allowed her to build a backbone_ – and for that she would be _forever_ grateful.

“Mom, I gotta go.” Sylvie said. Fighting with her mom over whether she was right to move to Chicago was not a fight she wanted to have today. She loved her mom dearly, but this move was something Martha never really understood and never got over. People who grew up in Fowlerton rarely left and she hated that her daughter was the talk of the town.

“Ok, but the plus one will always be there, even if you just want to bring a friend. It’s paid for so you may as well use it.” Martha reluctantly suggested.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it.” Sylvie replied quietly as she walked into the lounge and sulked down at the table beside Stella, while Severide sat at the head of the table reading the paper and Matt sat opposite her filling out some paperwork. “Bye mom.”

Sylvie hung up the phone, dropped it dramatically in front of her, closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands.

“I have a headache.” Sylvie grumbled as Matt quietly got up from his seat and walked into the kitchen.

Stella rubbed her back, “I thought you got on with your parents.”

“I _do_ get on with my parents, but sometimes… sometimes they drive me crazy.” Sylvie explained.

“What’s up?”

“My brother is getting married this weekend and I am so excited for him and I can’t wait to celebrate what will for sure be a beautiful day, but my mom is mad that I’m not bringing a date and it’s putting a damper on my celebratory mood.” Sylvie explained. The last thing she wanted to sound was selfish and inconsiderate. This was her brother’s day, but her mom really wasn’t making it easy for her to get excited about it. “What is so _wrong_ with being single anyway? I’m going to have to spend the weekend explaining to various relatives why I am single so seriously – any good excuses, please, let me know.”

“Here” Matt said as he came back to the table and set a glass of water and some aspirin in front of her. “For the headache.”

Sylvie smiled gently at him, “Thank you.” Trust Matt to be the one to make sure her headache wouldn’t get any worse. She spent so much time looking after everyone at 51 that admittedly, it was nice when someone else thought to look after her – and somehow, it was always Matt who did. Alongside always making sure dinner is set aside for her when she’s on a call, last week she banged her knee while tending to a victim and Matt had an ice-pack waiting for her when she got back to the station.

“It’s for reasons like this that I’m glad I don’t have a big family.” Stella reasoned. She _hated_ when people pried into her life and by the sound of things, Sylvie’s family were next level priers. Apparently, it came with the territory of living in a small town. Everybody _had_ to be in everybody’s business, and they couldn’t accept otherwise. “Surely they’ll get bored of asking questions after a while?” Stella reasoned.

“Oh - it gets worse” Sylvie said as even Severide looked up over his paper to find out more. “There’s the pushy family members but there’s also my _exes_.”

Stella hissed. Exes. Plural. Again, another disadvantage of a small town.

“Tom and Lucy have invited basically the whole of Fowlerton to the wedding, including my ex-fiancée Harrison.” Sylvie could shudder at the thought of seeing that weasel again. Walking away from him was the best thing she ever did. “He bought this house for his new wife that he told me he was going to buy for me when we were together, so I can’t _wait_ to have that one shoved in my face.”

Matt frowned, “You really care what Harrison does?” he asked, trying to sound as cool about it as possible. He didn’t like the thought of Sylvie being annoyed by her exes, or anyone for that matter, but also; why would she care? The guy was a jerk, he remembered how he treated her when he showed up in Chicago. He didn’t deserve a spare thought from Sylvie.

Sylvie shook her head, “No, it’s just the _pettiness_ of it all. Harrison never has and never will grow up and there is a reason that I dumped him. I shouldn’t have to be on the receiving end of his ego anymore.”

Severide set his paper down, “You said exes – plural.” He reminded her, now fully invested in the chaos that was Sylvie’s Fowlerton life.

“Well, Tom thought it would be appropriate to ask Kyle Sheffield to officiate the ceremony.”

This time, all three of them hissed.

“I mean, I understand to an extent. The pastor of our church is so old he can barely hear, so Kyle was their best option and he’s still on friendly enough terms with my brother.” Sylvie said with a shrug. Tom and Kyle were by no means best friends, but they wouldn’t hesitate to talk to one another if they saw each other in the street. “And then of course there’s _Hope_ , but we don’t need to rehash that one.” She said as she threw a sympathetic smile Stella’s way.

“Girl, you need back up.” Stella insisted. “Please tell me you’ll have someone there in your corner?”

Sylvie shrugged, “I don’t know, I have a couple of cousins who are normally good fun, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen them.”

Sylvie sat up straighter as she remembered what her mom had said to her earlier. If she wasn’t going to bring a date, she could bring a friend – and who better to bring than her best friend Stella Kidd?!

“You could come with me!” Sylvie announced enthusiastically. “I have a plus one and you would really be doing me a solid. I promise there will be a ready supply of wine and if necessary, _tequila_.”

Stella grimaced, “Oh I wish I could but I’m teaching back-to-back classes at the academy on Saturday” she said regretfully as Sylvie slumped back into her chair. Stella looked up at Matt who was attempting to finish off his paperwork. She smirked to herself. She didn’t like to meddle in people’s lives, but when the perfect opportunity arose… who was she to say no? Besides, these two could do with a little push in the right direction. Their feelings were obvious to anyone with eyes – they just needed the opportunity to take that leap.

“What about Casey?” Stella suggested as Severide continued to be a silent, but very much interested observer from the end of the table.

Matt’s head shot up, “What about me?”

“Bring Casey to the wedding.” Stella elaborated; the enthusiasm evident in her voice. “It’s kind of perfect when you think about it. You have one of your good friends there to make sure the whole thing is more bearable and Casey’s attractive enough for people to assume you would date him – keep those nosey aunts off your back.”

Matt glared at Stella, “Attractive _enough_?”

Stella rolled her eyes, “It was a compliment, honest.”

Sylvie shook her head, “I’m not going to pretend to date Casey.” She made clear before turning to Matt. “I’m not going to pretend to date you.”

Pretending not to have feelings for him was hard enough.

“You don’t have to pretend, just – don’t deny!” Stella said. “That way it’s not a lie.”

“A lie by omission is still a lie.” Sylvie replied.

She and Stella continued to bicker between them about why bringing Matt and pretending to date him was a terrible idea. Meanwhile, Matt just sat back and thought about it for himself. It really wasn’t that big of a deal – right? When you broke it down, he was just going to a wedding with a friend. He also didn’t like the thought of Sylvie being miserable all weekend. If there was something he could do to fix that, why not jump at the chance?

“I love weddings.” Matt interrupted as Sylvie and Stella eyed him curiously. “So, if – if you wanted company, I’d happily tag along.” He said rather properly.

_Dammit Casey, try to sound a little less procedural next time, ok?_

“It’s a whole weekend thing, I’m sure you have plenty going on.” Sylvie reasoned.

She wanted to give him every opportunity to say no. She certainly didn’t want him to feel forced into this by Stella. Truthfully, however, she was sincerely hoping he didn’t say no. Over the past few years they’d built up a solid, supportive friendship. There was something about Matt Casey that always put her at ease and having her by her side sounded pretty comforting right now.

“No, I’m pretty free.”

“You don’t have furlough.”

“It’s no bother bringing in a relief for a shift.”

“I—”

Matt’s hand reached across the table and landed on top of hers to stop her from making excuses for him.

“I want to make this weekend more bearable for you. Helping a friend sounds like the perfect way to spend my weekend. I can imagine it’s hard having your family in your ear like that and nobody likes running into an ex.” He sympathised. He looked down at their hands and realised he should probably move away now, but when he did, he wished he hadn’t. He missed the heat of her hand and the softness of her skin.

_Focus, Casey. This is not about how soft her skin is._

“And – we both know you’re more than capable of handling yourself but just think of me as back-up. Someone to make your life a heck of a lot easier.” He reasoned.

Sylvie gulped. How could she say no to this? Her brain was telling her to say no but her heart – well, her heart had been a whole other story for a while now. Every time Matt walked into the room or his name popped up on her phone her heart fluttered. Her heart would _gladly_ jump at the opportunity to spend time with him.

Sylvie’s head took over in that moment, “I’m not sure you fully appreciate how insane this weekend is going to be.”

Matt smiled, “I’m not sure you fully appreciate how fun I am at weddings.”

Sylvie couldn’t help but smile back. He was always so serious, his job demanded it, so the thought of Matt letting loose a little made her unexpectedly happy. After everything life had thrown his way, he really deserved to smile – and she loved the thought of being a part of that.

And as intense and intrusive as the Bretts could be, they really knew how to throw a party.

“Ok, you can come” Sylvie caved as Stella sat gleefully beside her. “But… as my friend. I’m not letting anybody assume we’re dating. We’re better than that, _I_ am better than that. It is ok for me to be single, no matter what my family says, right?”

“Yeah, right” “Of course.” “Absolutely.” The three of them rhymed off. And she _was_ right, she was 100% right – but Stella and Severide knew that she might have a hard time convincing her family that Matt was just a friend considering the way they looked at each other.

“Ok… I’m going to ring my mom and let her know I’m bringing a friend.” She emphasised before lifting her phone and leaving the room.

Matt watched her until she was out of sight – while Stella was watching _him_. He realised only a few moments later and frowned at the grin she was sending his way.

“What?” he asked as he gathered up his paperwork.

“Nothing.” Stella replied quickly. “You just – you seemed pretty keen to help Brett out. You even seemed prepared to let her family think you were dating.”

Matt shrugged as he stood from his chair, “Just helping out a friend, no big deal.” He reasoned as he left the room.

Truthfully, he was _more_ than prepared to pretend they were dating. For Sylvie of course, not for him. He was suddenly wrecked with nerves at the thought of meeting Sylvie’s family. It had been a long time since he’d been hit with such nerves.

_Stop, Casey, you’re just friends. Remember that._

Meanwhile, back in the common room, Stella craned her neck around the door and waited until Matt was out of sight before turning to Severide.

“50 bucks says something happens between them this weekend.” She challenged with a grin.

Severide contemplated it for a moment, “… 100 bucks says Casey chickens out just as something is about to happen.”

“No way, he’s at a wedding with the woman he very _clearly_ has big feelings for. It’s romantic, they’re alone – there’s no way he’ll not act.”

“You don’t know Casey like _I_ know Casey; he’ll be too scared to ruin the friendship. As much as we may want him to go there, we have to be realistic.” Severide reasoned. He would love to see his friend take that leap with Brett, but he would be surprised if he did. While Matt had never said it out loud, there was something clearly holding his friend back from pursuing something with Brett.

“You know what – 100 bucks says something happens.” Stella continued confidently. What better place than a romantic wedding for someone to get their act together?

Severide chuckled and shook Stella’s hand; “Deal.”

* * *

As suspected, it wasn’t hard for Matt to find a replacement captain for the shift. The plan was very much in motion and while he was still a little nervous about it, he was kind of excited. Sylvie had told him that her family liked a good party, and a good party sounded great right about now. They’d been through a lot recently and fun seemed like a distant memory.

As Matt pulled up outside of Sylvie’s apartment a few hours after shift, he was more than ready for the fun to start– and he was ready to convince Sylvie that this weekend didn’t have to be doom and gloom either. He was there as back-up; he was there as her friend. It was his _job_ to make sure she had a good time.

Matt got out of his truck just as Sylvie came downstairs, pulling a suitcase behind her.

Matt smirked, “You going to Fowlerton for the weekend or for the year?” he teased.

Sylvie glared, “I need _many_ party outfits for this thing, you’re lucky you can get away with just a suit – you remembered your suit, right?” she said, panicking slightly.

Matt nodded, “Yeah, your bridesmaids dress is blue?”

“Yeah, why?”

Matt shrugged, “I brought a tie that matches, that’s all.”

Sylvie looked at him a little stunned at the thoughtfulness. “Well… aren’t you the perfect wedding date but not date.” She joked as she handed him her car keys. They figured it would be better to take her car with a trunk for their stuff than letting things roam free in the back of his truck.

“You sure you’re ok to drive?” she asked as they walked towards her car.

“Absolutely, it’s one less thing for you to worry about.” He insisted as they put their stuff in the trunk and got into the car.

Sylvie turned her head to look at him as he adjusted his seat and put his seatbelt on.

“And you’re sure you want to do this?” she asked one final time. “I won’t mind if you want to back out.”

“Pick a radio station Brett.” He simply replied as Sylvie felt some tension leave her body.

Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all.

* * *

“So, my brother and his fiancée Lucy have hired out this huge lodge about thirty minutes from Fowlerton.” Sylvie explained as she looked out for the sign that should be approaching. “It’s beautiful, kind of in the middle of nowhere, but a really nice setting. The whole weekend is going to be there and there’s enough room for all the guests to stay.”

“Sounds nice.” Matt commented.

Sylvie chuckled lightly, “Oh it is. Only the best for Lucy O’Hare. Her family are farming royalty in Fowlerton and the neighbouring towns. Her parents spared no expense on their daughter’s big day.”

“How do your parents feel about that?” Matt asked.

“Their pride was a little stung that the O’Hares could afford a wedding they couldn’t.” Sylvie confessed, “But I think they were just grateful _they_ didn’t have to pay for it.” She added. Her parents weren’t poor, but they weren’t _O’Hare_ rich. They’d made it clear to Sylvie that if she ever actually got married, they wouldn’t be able to splash out like that. Sylvie _also_ made it clear that she wanted a small wedding anyway with as little fuss as possible…

“My brother is also glad the only thing he had to pay for was the ring.” Sylvie added with a chuckle. “Tom’s a bit tight with his money, despite having plenty of it. He’s the local doctor, so he’s doing just fine.”

“You never really talk about your brother.” Matt observed. He didn’t even know she had one until quite recently.

“It’s not intentional. I love my brother dearly, we just – we live very different lives. Honestly, it feels like I live in two worlds. And you’re about to witness the crazy side of it all, so I can only apologise again.” She said with a nervous laugh.

“I don’t know – finding out where Sylvie Brett came from sounds pretty great to me.” He insisted as Sylvie smiled gratefully at him. How did he always know the right thing to say?

Sylvie looked back out the window, the stillness in her chest fading when she spotted the sign for the wedding venue. “Oh, there it is, next left.” She instructed excitedly as he nodded his head and pulled up the long drive.

When the house came into view, Matt’s sucked in a breath. Sylvie was right, it was a beautiful rustic building on a beautiful open plot. He could see why this was a popular venue for weddings. They managed to find a spot amongst all the cars already there. It was just after lunch, and Sylvie told him the wedding party and their families would be here today for the rehearsal dinner tonight.

They soon walked through the front door and found the lodge to be surprisingly quiet. Sylvie half expected her cousins to be running around the place – and her mother too in all honesty. She expected her to be rushing around trying to make sure everything was in place for the big day tomorrow.

“They’re probably in the dining room” Sylvie told him as he nodded and followed her through the lodge.

“Mom? Dad?” she called as she walked in and soon found her entire family sitting around a bunch of tables, just finishing up their lunch.

“Sylvie!”

Suddenly, there was a barrage of greetings, all of them clearly happy to see her. Matt couldn’t help but find the moment heart-warming. The whole room was buzzing, and he loved it. He sometimes wished he had a family like this to drive him crazy but love him with everything they had. Losing the semblance of family he had when he was 16 was an incredibly lonely experience.

“Oh there’s my baby!” Matt heard a woman announce as he turned around and saw a lady charging towards them with her arms wide open. “You’re finally home!”

“Hi mom” Sylvie greeted as she hugged her mother tightly. Matt was surprised – despite being adopted, Sylvie shared a remarkable resemblance to her mother. It was clear that nurture played just as much a part in Sylvie Brett as nature did.

“You look so _wonderful_. Maybe Chicago is doing you some good after all…” Martha reluctantly conceded as various members of Sylvie’s family took it in turns to hug her, including who Matt assumed were her dad and brother.

“Um, everyone this is Matt Casey. He’s a friend from work.” She explained as Martha immediately pounced on him, pulling him into an unexpected hug. Sylvie grimaced, figuring she should have warned him that Martha Brett – and most of the Bretts – were huggers.

“Matt it is so wonderful to meet you!” Martha insisted as she pulled back from the hug. “Sylvie told us she was bringing a friend, but I never expected him to be so _handsome.”_ She teased.

 _“Mom.”_ Sylvie scolded. _Great,_ they were here for a total of 3 minutes and already her family were working to make Matt uncomfortable.

Matt awkwardly cleared his throat before shooting Sylvie an amused glance, “It’s very nice to meet you Mrs Brett, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh please, call me Martha.” She insisted.

“Don’t mind her Matt.” A male voice said as he walked towards Matt and held out his hand, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Peter, Sylvie’s father.” He introduced as he shook his hand. “Come on, let me introduce you to everybody.” He said as he pulled Matt around the room.

Sylvie watched as Matt graciously and happily greeted each of Sylvie’s aunts and uncles and cousins – and then all of _Lucy’s_ aunts and uncles and cousins. The man had the patience of a _saint_ as he was dragged around the room and he didn’t look one bit fatigued as he did it. When he got to Sylvie’s brother, they immediately started to converse like old friends – it was frightening yet comforting to see.

As Sylvie watched him, she didn’t notice that Martha was watching _her_ carefully. The little smile on Sylvie’s lips and the sparkle in her eyes was evident to her mother. She shot her sisters, Sylvie’s Aunt Astrid and Aunt Penny, knowing looks – and the aunts descended on Sylvie like vultures.

“He is _lovely_ Sylvie.” Astrid said, causing Sylvie to jump slightly at her aunt’s intrusion.

“Yeah, yeah, he’s a good guy.” Sylvie replied with a tight smile, not wanting to fuel what her aunt was obviously hinting at. He wasn’t just a lovely guy, he was a lovely guy _for Sylvie_.

“And he’s a firefighter you say?” Penny queried.

“Yeah, he’s the Captain at 51.”

“Oh, a _Captain_.” Penny said with a grin. “A very accomplished man.”

“Yes, there’s something about a man with a rank that is just—”

“ _Don’t_ finish that sentence please.” Sylvie begged her aunt who giggled and didn’t continue.

“Sylvie” Martha interrupted, just as a few of Sylvie’s cousins crowded round her. “Are you two _really_ just friends?”

“ _Yes_.” Sylvie made clear.

“It’s just – there’s something in your eyes when you look at him.” Martha said softly.

Sylvie, stunned by her mother’s unexpected observation, turned to look at her, but words failed her. Was her face _that_ much of a giveaway? God, if her mother could see through her… could _Matt_? He hadn’t made any indication that he knew how she felt, but maybe he was just being polite. It’s not like anything could ever happen between them anyway, they were firmly in the friendzone… right?

“And really Sylvie, it’s about time you got back out there.” Martha added as Sylvie was brought back to reality. _That_ was a comment she _would_ expect from her mother. “It’s been long enough since Kyle and you’re not exactly getting any younger. I know you’ve been unlucky, but relationships are a very rewarding thing—”

“There is nothing wrong with being single mom.”

“I know but I’m just thinking about you and what’s _best_ for you.”

“I think a Captain in the CFD would _definitely_ be best for you…” Astrid said with a giggle.

“He is really cute Sylvie” she heard her cousin Harriet pipe in.

“And that smile--”

“You’d be wise to bag him before it’s too late—"

Sylvie didn’t know what came over her in that moment. It was like a cloud descended on her and she just _cracked_.

 _“We’re dating!”_ she exclaimed as everyone turned and looked at her, including a wide-eyed Matt.

Martha’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, “You are?!” she exclaimed as Matt slowly walked over to her, wondering where the heck she was going with this.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it considering this is Tom and Lucy’s big day but – yeah…” she said as it was Matt’s turn for a cloud to descend over him. He sprang into action and joined her ruse, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist and smiling down at her. “We’re a – a thing. Me and Matt, Matt and me. _Dating.”_ Sylvie said awkwardly as she scratched the back of her neck.

Everyone stared at the pair in silence – before erupting into cheers and claps. Sylvie Brett, finally bringing a date home! Who would have thought?!

“Sylvie, how could you not tell me?!” Martha asked as she hugged her daughter again, jubilant over this news.

“Oh, you know, it’s very _new_ …” she explained.

“Well, hopefully this one will last longer than Kyle did—” she grumbled as Sylvie internally groaned.

 _“Ok!”_ Sylvie said quickly as she slipped her hand down Matt’s arm and took his hand in hers. “We are going to go get our bags from the car.” She said, looking for a quick escape from the dangerous hole she’d just started to dig.

“We’ll be waiting for the details when you get back!” Martha called after them as Sylvie dragged Matt outside.

She pulled him down the front steps and straight to their car before dropping his hand and immediately starting to pace.

“Oh my _god,_ what the hell did I just do?!” she exclaimed as she ran her hands through her hair. “I am so, _so_ sorry—” she apologised sincerely.

“Sylvie—”

“I don’t know what came over me. I just couldn’t listen to the dating _crap_ any longer and I just snapped. God, I am _weak_. Where is my backbone? I’ve had _guns_ held to my head, but I can’t stand up to my family?” she rambled.

“Family is complicated.” He reminded her. “They can make your head spin in ways you don’t even realise.”

“Yeah, that much is clear…” she grumbled as she looked at her feet.

“And – I’m ok with it.”

Sylvie lifted her head and eyed hum curiously, “Come again?”

“If you want to continue this ruse then I’m in.”

“This is insane.” Sylvie reminded him. She didn’t really know what else to say, she couldn’t quite believe that good, noble, _honest_ Matt Casey was willing to lie to her family for her.

Matt shrugged nonchalantly, “Maybe… but if I can make your weekend any easier then I’ll do it. It’s only a couple of days anyway.” He reminded her. It wasn’t like they had to keep this up for months. “Besides – I’m a great actor.” He teased. “Just don’t ask me to do an accent.”

Sylvie grinned, “Noted.”

“Though I can’t imagine it would be hard to pretend to date you, you’re pretty amazing.” He complimented.

He did it again – he surprised her into silence. _Matt Casey thinks she’s amazing_. Her brain froze as Matt’s face slipped, like he was only realising now what he’d said.

_You freaked her out Casey, walk it back, walk. it. back._

“We should probably establish a back story.” He said quickly, trying to divert her attention away from his less than subtle compliment.

“Right! Right…” Sylvie said quickly, her brain bringing her back down to Earth. “Um… we met at work, been friends for a long time, things just… _blossomed_ one day… and here we are.” Sylvie said vaguely. It was an easy story to keep up because, well, it _was_ the story. “We can work out the kinks as we go. Since you’re such a good actor, it shouldn’t be hard for you. Right?” she joked as she nudged his arm.

Matt chuckled, “Right.” He didn't think there would be many kinks to work out, however. They knew each other pretty well. They knew their likes, their dislikes, their fears, their dreams. They really were the best of friends.

“Great!” Sylvie said with an awkward enthusiasm. She winced at herself before stepping past him and walking towards her trunk.

Suddenly, another cloud fell upon Sylvie and she acted without really thinking.

“Oh, one more thing” she said as she suddenly turned around, placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him firmly.

Matt froze completely. Sylvie Brett was kissing him. _Holy crap._

Before he could even think about responding, she pulled away, their eyes remaining closed. Did kissing always feel like that? Even the quickest of pecks? Because if it did, they’d been kissing wrong their entire lives. They couldn’t explain it, but this kiss felt like the _right_ kiss.

“Sorry” she said in a whisper as they slowly opened their eyes and looked at each other. “It’s just – if we did that in front of them, they would totally know it was our first kiss.” She figured it wasn’t a terrible idea to get the awkwardness of the first kiss out of the way – but it didn’t feel awkward. It felt… perfect – despite how short it was.

Matt gulped, “… ri-right.” He managed to get out. “Though I would like it on record that I’m a much better kisser when I’m not ambushed.” He joked. Easing the tension between them.

“If you say so.” Sylvie teased with a little laugh - but she totally believed it. There was no doubt in her mind that Matt Casey was an excellent kisser, even when he was ambushed.

Sylvie stepped away from him and he wished he could reach out and pull her back. He wished he could pull her back and kiss her like he really meant it.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked quietly. She felt horribly guilty about roping him into something like this, but he was the one who seemed keen to see it through.

“I’ve got you Brett.” He insisted sincerely.

Sylvie nodded, “You always do.”

This was going to get interesting.


	2. Goofiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvie shows Matt some spots in Fowlerton and has some tough conversations with her Aunt Janette and her former best friend...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Thank you SO much for your kind comments last chapter. They made me even more excited to share this story with you!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter
> 
> Ems x

** Chapter Two – Goofiness **

After gathering their stuff from the trunk, Sylvie and Matt made their way back inside, a little nervous about what may come next. Sylvie had decided, however, that if she was going to do something as crazy as this, she was glad that it was Matt she was doing it with. He was so calm under pressure. The same mindset that was required to stop a house from burning down was definitely the same mindset required to stop Sylvie’s person life burning down in front of her family. They totally had this under control!

“Mom” Sylvie called as they set their bags down by the front desk. “Do you know where our rooms are?”

“Room. Singular.” Martha said with a little giggle, still on a high from the fact that Sylvie brought a date – and a very _handsome_ date at that. “Thank goodness you did bring a date in the end, because we actually only had one room available for you and whoever you brought.” She said as she got the key from the receptionist and handed it to Sylvie.

“Oh, that is so, _so_ great.” Sylvie said through her teeth as her whole body stiffened. This was _just_ what they needed, something else to ramp up the tension between them. They were both still secretly reeling from Sylvie’s spontaneous kiss, and now the universe started to throw obstacles in the way of keeping their ruse respectful.

“Isn’t that _great_?” Sylvie asked as she turned to Matt with wide eyes.

Matt nodded, unnerved by Sylvie’s freaked out expression, “Oh uh, yeah, great.” He replied awkwardly.

Maybe he wasn’t so good under personal pressure after all.

He cleared his throat and lifted their bags before nodding towards the stairs, “Come on, let’s go check it out.” Sylvie lifted her case and followed him.

“Oh, Sylvie!” Martha called as they turned back to look at her. “Don’t be too long upstairs, your Aunt Janette should be here any minute. She’s going to want to hear all about Matt.” She said before going back into the dining room to gossip some more with her sisters.

“ _Another_ aunt?” Matt asked in disbelief. How many did she have?

Sylvie sighed, “Yep.” She said, popping the ‘p’ and moving past him up the stairs. “Most of my aunts mean well, but Aunt Janette – she means to undermine and judge.” She grumbled. Sylvie could recall each time her Aunt Janette made her feel terrible about her life as if it were yesterday.

_“Harrison manipulated you? I doubt that. Maybe he just knew best. And even if he did manipulate you – you shouldn’t have let him.”_

_“Chicago? You’ll never last in Chicago. Besides – what could it give you that Fowlerton couldn’t? You should be grateful for what you have.”_

_“You’ve let that city change you. If your parents had just kept you here, you would still be the sweet little girl they raised.”_

_“Hope was so upset when she came home from Chicago. She said she was just so sad that her friend Sylvie wasn’t the same person anymore.”_

_“Oh, you left Kyle? Why am I not surprised? You never could hold something down for long.”_

“Let’s just say she’s never had a nice thing to say about anything I’ve done. She blamed me for Harrison and Hope’s manipulation, said Chicago changed me for the worst. Just… not nice stuff.” She said as they found their bedroom door.

“It’s easy for people to stand on the outskirts of someone else’s life and pass comment. They don’t see the feelings and the human behind it all.” Matt commented. There had been plenty of times in his life when people decided they knew best on a situation they weren’t apart of. It drove him crazy – and it drove him into himself. He internalised it all to the point where he felt invalidated and like his opinion would never matter.

Sylvie nodded, dropping her case by the door and reaching into her pocket to her the key, “Yeah, you’re right. I just have to keep reminding myself that it’s my life and I am capable of making the right choices _for me_.”

Matt nodded. Of course she was. She was one of the most grounded, intelligent, wise people he knew. She was the voice of reason in _his_ life too. “Absolutely” he agreed before following her into the room.

“Wow…” Sylvie said as she looked around. “This is nice.” The room was bright, one wall lined with ceiling to floor windows and the other with wide patio doors that led out to a balcony. The other two exposed brick walls worked nicely with the hardwood floors that matched the wooden furniture, and right in the middle lay a king-sized bed with crisp white bed linen.

“Yeah, it’s rustic.” Matt mumbled as he set all their stuff down with a grunt. “I uh – I can take a spot on the floor, there’s plenty of blankets—”

“No, no” Sylvie insisted as she turned to look at him, “I dragged you into this mess, the least I can do is give you the bed.”

“You’re not sleeping on the floor, Sylvie.”

“And neither are _you_.” She replied without missing a beat.

Matt shot her the faintest smile. It had been a while since he’d met someone whose stubbornness was out of concern for others and not motivated by selfish desires. She was just so _good_ – and it made his heart beat that little bit faster for her.

“You know, the bed is pretty big. We could easily both be in it and not be that aware of the other person.” Matt suggested. “We could even put up a pillow wall if you really want.” He added with a little laugh. He really didn’t mind sharing the bed, it was huge, but he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.

Sylvie smiled, “No, no pillow wall necessary…” she said quietly. “Sharing the bed it is.” She agreed.

She knew it wasn’t that big a deal, but it still felt far too intimate for what this was. But then again, it was all part of the ruse, right? Maybe it would help them to stay in character? Yeah, yeah, that was exactly what it would do! Sylvie hoped she wouldn’t have to explain away any other little intimacy from this weekend. How long could the ruse excuse work before she had to confront some feelings she’d tried to keep buried?

Before she could think about it anymore, she looked out her window and saw her Aunt Janette pull up with her husband Mark.

Sylvie screwed up her nose, “She’s here…” she mumbled as Matt stood behind her and looked out the window. “Yeah, we need to get out of here.” She said with a determined nod before moving to the balcony doors.

Matt frowned, “We just got here.”

“Yes, and the interrogation my mother and aunts had planned for us can wait.” She said as she waited until her aunt and uncle were safely inside before walking out onto the balcony and peering over it. They were only one floor up, they could definitely climb down. “God, I feel like I’m in high school, I used to sneak out at least twice a week.” She said with a little laugh as she climbed over the railing and started scaling the drainpipe.

All Matt could do was stand back and watch. Sensible Sylvie Brett was scaling down a drainpipe like she’d done it a million times before. He never would have pegged her as a teen who liked to sneak out, but he quickly realised that he knew _Chicago_ Sylvie Brett but not _Fowlerton_ Sylvie Brett. He didn’t know about the place that shaped her – and now he was determined to find out more.

“You coming?” he heard Sylvie call, snapping him out of his thoughts. He peered over the balcony and saw her smiling up at him with her hands on her hips.

He grinned back, “You are full of surprises Brett.” He commented with a chuckle before he expertly scaled down the pipe himself. “Where to?” he asked as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to her car.

“To the centre of the universe… or so my mother likes to think.”

* * *

Half an hour later, Sylvie and Matt were walking through the centre of Fowlerton, taking in the sights. There wasn’t much to it considering they had a population of 220 people, but it had its charm. You could walk from one side to the other in 10 minutes and the plants were meticulously looked after by its residents.

“So this is Fowlerton” Matt said as he looked all around him, spotting the fire station at the end of the street. From the outside, he could tell they didn’t experience the same kind of action they had in Chicago – understandably so.

“This is it” she said with a surprisingly proud smile on her face. “I know I complain about this place, but I do have a lot of good memories from my childhood. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that.” She confessed. “Like this park” she said as they stopped outside it. “I broke my arm after jumping off that swing when I was 10. I was trying to impress Billy Burnside but that _majorly_ backfired.” She said with a grimace. “But then two years later when he gave me my first kiss behind that tree.” She said with a little laugh at the memory. “I was _besotted_ with him, but he moved away a week after he kissed me. I cried for two days straight and swore I would never love again.” She said with a dramatic sigh.

Matt laughed, “Young love can be brutal huh?”

“Oh yeah… _oh_!” she said suddenly as she grabbed his arm and dragged him to a cart just opposite the supermarket. “Get ready to try the best ice cream you’ve ever had.”

“Bold claim…” Matt replied as Sylvie smiled and turned to the vendor.

“Two pistachio ice-creams with a generous dollop of white chocolate sauce please Frank.” She asked politely.

Frank grinned, “I was wondering when Sylvie Brett would don these streets again. It’s good to see you kid.”

“You too Frank, how is your family keeping?” she asked kindly.

“Oh just great. My daughter just had a little boy, Frankie.” He said proudly.

“Oh congratulations Frank!” Sylvie said joyfully before turning to Matt. “Is there anything better than news of a baby? I really don’t think so.” She said, answering her own question in her excitement.

Frank handed Matt the ice-creams while Sylvie paid him. “Have a great day Frank.”

“You too Sylvie” he replied happily as she and Matt walked on.

“I guess you’re the woman about town…” he teased as he nudged her arm. It appeared that Fowlerton Sylvie was just as sweet as Chicago Sylvie – and he loved that she never lost that.

Sylvie playfully rolled her eyes, “I’m the talk of the town. The rebellious child who snuck away to crime ridden Chicago for a life of debauchery.” She exaggerated – though that was often how some of the people in this town made her feel. “There are some _crazies_ in this town but then there’s people like Frank who will always greet you with a smile.” She said fondly. “He’s been manning that ice-cream cart since I was a little kid.”

“Well – it is good ice cream…” he conceded. “I didn’t even know white chocolate sauce was a thing.”

“I _told_ you it was good!” she said triumphantly. “Once you’ve had this combo, you’ll never go back. I used to get this ice cream every Friday after school with—”

_“Sylvie? Sylvie Brett?”_

Sylvie froze in her tracks and clenched her jaw. She knew this was coming, but she really did _not_ want to have to deal with it today. She didn’t want to have to deal with it right _now_. She was having such a nice time with Matt.

But of course, the universe had other plans for her. It always did.

She slowly turned around and saw Hope storming towards her, a bright smile on her face.

“I figured I wouldn’t see you until the wedding tomorrow – you know what your aunts are like, they like to keep you busy.” Hope said as she pulled Sylvie in for an unwelcomed hug. “I’m glad I did get to see you beforehand though – I wanted to apologise.” She said with a dramatic sigh.

Sylvie pursed her lips, “Water under the bridge.” She was really in no mood to listen to her so-called apology. She’d spent too long seeing the best in her only for it to be thrown back in her face. The best thing she could think to do right now was to just brush it off.

“No, I need to say this. I was wrong to go and see Kyle behind your back.” She said as Matt’s eyes widened, wondering what the _heck_ had happened when Sylvie moved back here. “It wasn’t what you thought, there was _no_ flirting, but I admit it did look sneaky.”

Sylvie merely nodded along. If Hope was that sorry, why was she only hearing her apology now?

“I would really like us to become friends again. No better time than a wedding, right?” she asked before looking past Sylvie and finally realising who was beside her. She stood up a little straighter and her smile fell. “Captain Casey. This is… _unexpected.”_

“Hope” he courtly greeted. He really had _nothing_ good to say to her right now. He didn’t have anything good to say to _anybody_ who felt like they could take advantage of Sylvie’s goodness.

“What are you doing in our little town?” she asked with an uncomfortable laugh.

“I—” Sylvie began, but Matt interrupted.

 _“We’re dating!”_ Matt blurted out confidently, taking charge of this moment. It seemed fitting that he would blurt out they were dating just like Sylvie had. He wrapped his arm around Sylvie’s shoulder and lightly squeezed. They were in this together and he wasn’t going to let her deal with Hope alone. Not when she didn’t have to.

Hope raised her eyebrows, “ _Dating?_ What happened to Gabby?” she asked curiously as he felt Sylvie tense under his arms.

“We’ve been divorced for two years now.” He said simply. Hope didn’t need to know anymore than that. He knew, and _Sylvie_ knew that Gabby was a part of his past, not his present. He made that much clear when she showed up a few months back and asked him to go her charity ball. He turned her down, because he knew in his heart that being by her side was a place he no longer wanted to be.

“Right, well… you sure do have a thing for paramedics” Hope joked, the bitterness evident in her voice. She hated it when Sylvie was happier than her. She was eternally jealous of her former friend and here she was, loved up with a guy she knew would treat Sylvie like she hung the moon and the stars.

“No. Just a thing for Sylvie.” He replied, gently rubbing her arm and immediately feeling Sylvie’s body relax against his. Sylvie was alarmed by how comforting his touch was, but she also wasn’t complaining. Now that she knew what it felt like to comforted by him, she knew she didn’t want to be without it again.

“I’m glad you managed to find happiness Sylvie.” Hope said, forcing a smile on her face. “Especially when you left Kyle high and dry like that. You know he’s officiating the wedding, right?” she asked, clearly trying to provoke her.

Sylvie nodded, “Oh I am well aware. Good thing we’re both adults and can behave as such.”

“We’ll see.” Hope responded. She soon realised that any bitchy comment she made really wouldn’t get a rise out of Sylvie when she had Matt Casey by her side. He was clearly a calming presence in her life. “I better get going, I have to pick up my dress from the seamstress. I can’t _wait_ to see you in your bridesmaid’s dress Sylvie. I’m sure you’ll look amazing. Talk tomorrow!” she said before rushing away.

Matt and Sylvie turned around, his arm still firmly around her shoulder as they watched Hope walk away.

“You ok?” Matt asked as he looked down at her.

Sylvie sighed, “I’m fine. She’s just so _draining.”_ She said as she started to walk on, slipping out of Matt’s hold and focusing her attention back to her ice-cream.

Matt held back for a few moments before following, “Did she really try to worm her way in there with Kyle?”

Sylvie scoffed, “Of course she did. You know Hope, anything I have, she wants. So I’d watch your back.” She teased.

“I got her fired, I’m pretty sure all bridges have been burned.” He grumbled. “Besides, I’m in a committed relationship for the weekend.” He said as he nudged her arm, finally getting her to crack a smile.

“That’s true.” She said quietly. As dumb as it was, she found it _annoyingly_ attractive how committed he was to this ruse. “And now you know my favourite ice-cream if it ever comes up.”

 _And so he can get her some when they’re in Chicago_.

 _No, Casey. She’s your friend. That’s a boyfriend move_.

“Yeah. I’m prepared.”

And he was. He was prepared for it all – and the thought was unnerving.

* * *

“Where on god’s green _earth_ have you two been for the past three hours?!” Martha demanded to know as Sylvie and Matt walked through the door, laughing at a dumb dad joke Matt had made not 30 seconds ago. They were a little sweaty and gross from being out in the heat, but they didn’t even care. They had a great afternoon together. They _always_ had great afternoons together.

“I was showing Matt Fowlerton.” Sylvie told as her as her expression softened.

“Well, it _is_ a beautiful place, wouldn’t you agree Matt?” Martha asked eagerly.

Matt nodded, “It’s really nice. I was great to see where Sylvie grew up.”

“Next time you’re here, you’ll have to see our farm, it’s the best spot in all of Fowlerton.” Martha boasted proudly.

 _Next time_. Matt would love there to be a next time. But this wasn’t real.

“But back to the matter at hand.” Martha said, turning stern again. “There are a lot of people here who want to see you Sylvie and you just took off!” she scolded.

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Sylvie apologised, though she really didn’t mean it. She’d had a great time with Matt. Apart from the Hope run in, it was the calm before the storm that would be the wedding. “I will be over in just a minute.” She insisted as Martha reluctantly left her daughter, half expecting her to run off again.

“Why don’t you head upstairs and take a shower, get ready for the rehearsal dinner.” She told him. “You shouldn’t have to deal with Aunt Janette just yet. I’ll be up soon.” She insisted.

“I don’t mind coming with you—”

“It’s fine, I’m just going to say hello. Besides, I’m sure you’re dying to get washed up, it’s really hot and stuffy out there.” She wanted to get cleaned up just as badly as he did, but she needed to get this greeting over with.

“Ok, if you’re sure. If you need me, you know where I am.” He reminded her.

Sylvie smiled, “Go, I’m fine” she said before pushing him towards the stairs.

She watched him leave before taking a deep breath and walking into the lounge. She soon spotted Janette sitting in an armchair, reading a book over the top of her glasses, her eyebrows crossed and her lips in a tight line. Her demeanour sent _chills_ down Sylvie’s spine.

“Aunt Janette” Sylvie greeted with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

Janette looked up from her book and slowly closed it. “Sylvie. Nice of you to _finally_ come say hello.”

“I was taking my… _boyfriend_ , to see Fowlerton” she told her as she sat beside her.

Boyfriend. Matt Casey was her boyfr- _pretend boyfriend_. Either way, it felt alarmingly normal to say it out loud.

“Yes, your mother told me you’d brought someone home. A firefighter.”

Sylvie nodded, “Yeah, he’s a firefighter. He also runs his own small construction company.”

“Astrid and Penny said he’s very handsome, I’m surprised you managed to get him.” Janette said as she turned her nose up.

Sylvie’s jaw tightened as she blinked a few times. There it was. That pit in the bottom of her stomach that she felt every time someone in her family dared to make her feel like less than she was.

“Meaning?” she said through her teeth, _dying_ to know how Janette was going to tear her down this time.

“Well, you’re rather _plain_ Sylvie.” She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but what does a Chicago firefighter, a _Captain_ none the less, who leads an exhilarating life want with a plain Jane?”

Sylvie stood from her chair, trying to keep her composure as she thought about how to respond to her aunt. “I don’t know Aunt Janette – but he really loves this plain Jane, so I must be doing something right. Excuse me.” She said as she walked away, trying to hold her head high as possible.

Sylvie expected to feel guilty about her relationship lie, but she didn’t expect to be _hurt_ by it. Matt Casey didn’t love her. He never would love her, she knew that – and as much as she hated to admit it, it hurt.

She pushed that feeling to the back of her mind and let her anger over her aunt’s words take over. She stormed up the stairs to their room, making sure to slam the door behind her before she charged straight into the bathroom to speak to Matt.

 _“Casey!”_ she announced, causing him to jump from where he– very _nakedly_ – stood in the shower.

“Geez, Sylvie… what’s wrong?” he asked, turning away slightly to at least maintain _some_ of his dignity. Thankfully, the steam of the shower seemed to be covering what he need it to cover.

But Sylvie couldn’t care _less_ about the state that he was in. She hadn’t even registered it. “Am I _plain_?” she asked as she paced around the space. “At first I thought it was _ridiculous_ but now I’m starting to think that it’s true. Maybe I am just… _bland._ Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just the way she said it she very clearly meant it as an insult. _”_

“You’re not plain and you’re not bland. I have no idea what this is about, but I know that for sure.” He made clear, already mad at whatever had happened to make Sylvie this mad.

“My aunt Janette said she was surprised I managed to get you because you live an exhilarating life as a firefighter and I am a plain Jane.” Sylvie explained as she ran her hand over her forehead.

“That’s ridiculous. If anyone is plain and boring in this relationship, it’s _me_.” He made clear. In their _fake_ relationship that is... and how would someone he never met know what his life was like? There was nothing exhilarating about his life, it was incredibly _mundane_ in his eyes and it wasn’t _Aunt Janette’s_ place to assume otherwise. “She’s probably just jealous that you got out of here and made something of your life in a way that she never could.” Matt said angrily. How could people not see how _brilliant_ she was? It seemed like insanity to him and the only explanation he could come up with was jealousy. They knew for a fact Hope was jealous, so it wasn’t a stretch that others would be too.

Sylvie frowned, “You’re not boring.”

Matt gave her a surprised smile. He was talking about _her_ and sticking up for _her_ and all she could think about was that he’d called himself boring? Trust Sylvie to put someone else above herself even when she was upset.

“Neither are you” he replied as he turned the shower off so he could hear her better.

“You do need to let yourself have more fun though.” Sylvie added.

“What?” Matt asked with a little laugh.

“I just – I worry about you sometimes.” She said, brushing it off as if it was nothing. “You’re a fun guy Matt Casey. You somehow even make dad jokes fun and I don’t want you to lose your goofiness. It’s part of what makes you, _you_ and I really like that guy.”

It was only in the past few years Sylvie had seen the relaxed, easy going Matt Casey. He always seemed so serious and so reserved before. It was like he had buried a part of himself while he was with Gabby, but he was a real _dork_ sometimes and she loved that about him.

Matt let out a breathy laugh. If there was a reason that he hadn’t lost his goofiness, it was because of _her._ His goofiness matched _her_ goofiness, and he couldn’t help but feel so joyful when he was around her.

“I don’t think that goofiness is going anywhere any time soon.” He replied softly. As long as Sylvie Brett was in his life, the relaxed, easy-going, _happy_ Matt Casey was there to stay.

Matt stared right through Sylvie in a way that made her breath catch in her throat. Why did he have to look at her like she was the best thing he’d ever seen?

Sylvie’s eyes drifted down and widened as she realised the steam and had started to clear – and he was standing in front of her completely naked.

“Oh God” she said as she quickly spun around and Matt awkwardly put his hands over his front, his eyes wandering the room to avoid making eye contact with her. He laughed to himself. They could be emotionally intimate at the drop of a hat, but the moment physicality came into it, well, they were like sheepish _teenagers_ who felt like it had gone too far.

“You’re naked and I just stormed in here, I am _so_ sorry.” She’d been so consumed by being called plain she didn’t even think about the fact he was showering.

 _And of course he looks like that naked_. _Just great. As if her whole being wasn’t tense enough without that god-like image in her mind._

“I’m uh… I’m going to uh—yeah.” She said as she quickly left the bathroom.

Anxiety, anger, joy, nostalgia, guilt, sadness, longing, embarrassment – was there any emotion she _wouldn’t_ feel today?


	3. The Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brett and Casey's lie suddenly starts to feel more like the truth during the rehearsal dinner...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all the love on the last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one just as much :D

** Chapter Three – The Look **

_A distraction._

That’s how Matt would describe Sylvie right now. A complete and utter distraction. He was standing by the bar waiting for her at the rehearsal dinner when he had heard a few of her little cousins gasp from the hallway.

_“Sylvie, you look like an angel!”_

His head shot round to the main staircase and there she was, looking just as angelic as he’d heard. Her figure-hugging yellow lemon dress fell just below her knee, the straps hanging off her shoulders and her hair pulled back, exposing her upper chest. She was radiant and Matt’s mouth felt dry all of a sudden.  
  
_How_ was he going to get through tonight without gazing at her the whole time? Then again, maybe that would be a good play for their ruse. Because that’s what it was all about, right? Convincing people they were dating? _Yeah._ He could gaze at her. He could gaze at her with all the wonder and admiration in the world and no one would think twice about it.

He watched as Sylvie spoke to her little cousins, Susie and Finn. They were beaming up at her and Sylvie was smiling right back. She had always been so good with kids and they warmed to her right back. As Susie and Finn bolted away, Sylvie scowered the room, her bright smile finding him almost instantly. It appeared the awkwardness of their shower run in was all but forgotten.

“Hi” she quietly greeted as she approached him.

“Hi” he replied, slipping his hand round her waist and kissing her cheek. All of his touches today had felt electric and she could help but melt into them.

Matt kept his head by her ear, “You are so beautiful.” He told her quietly before leaning back and seeing the blush form on her cheeks. Between how good he looked in his suit and the compliments, which she’d _never_ been good at taking, her knees felt a little weak.

If he kept behaving like that, which was likely considering what they were trying to do, how was she going to get through tonight without gazing at him? Sylvie then remembered they were fake dating. It was perfectly acceptable for her to gaze at him. In fact, it would probably _benefit_ the cause! 

But she needed some alcohol in her system first. Despite some careful avoidance tactics, they were finally in front of her entire family and she knew they were going to give them the _mother_ of all interrogations.

She cleared her throat and tried to hold back her smirk, “I need a drink” she replied, finally taking her eyes off him.

Matt handed her a glass, “I got you a rose – but the tequila is on standby. I figured it would be better to start this party as sober as possible.” He retorted before taking a sip of his old fashioned.

Sylvie nodded, “Let’s save the tequila as a celebratory shot for making it through tonight.”

“What’s the plan for tonight anyway?” Matt asked as they stepped away from the bar.

“Nothing elaborate – which is unusual considering how everything else about this wedding is elaborate.” Sylvie retorted. They’d been planning this for months and the fact that they invited the _entirety_ of Fowlerton was all the proof needed to show this was wedding was going to be the talk of the town for decades to come. No expense had been spared. “Just a dinner, a few pre-wedding speeches, drinks reception afterwards.” Sylvie told him. “I made sure they sat us beside and opposite my fun cousins.” She assured him as he nodded with a smile.

“That’s go—”

_“Sylvie?”_

Sylvie’s posture straightened. This was another run in she knew was coming, but again, did it _really_ have to happen now? She needed at least another rose before this one. She looked over Matt’s shoulder and smiled.

“Kyle. Hi” she greeted before walking towards him and giving him an awkward hug.

“It’s good to see you.” He said sincerely. He could never say anything insincerely and Sylvie had always appreciated that about him. “You look great.” He complimented.

 _Get your tongue back in your head Sheffield_. Matt grumbled in his head. He really didn’t like how he was looking at her right now. I mean, he didn’t _blame_ the Chaplain, she _did_ look great - amazing in fact. Her dress was a slightly lighter shade to the jumper she wore when she tried to set him up with her friend Olivia. Matt groaned to himself. The fact that he remembered what she was wearing that night was just further proof that he had it _bad_ for her.

But that was beside the point, the _Chaplain_ was the point – and Matt didn’t want to be in this conversation as much as Sylvie didn’t.

“Oh, thank you” Sylvie replied. “How have you been?”

Kyle nodded and smiled, “Yeah, good. Things have been going really well with the First Responder and Peer Initiative and life in Anderson is great. The people there are great, I feel right at home.”

Sylvie smiled warmly at him. “That’s really good to hear.” She’d always carried a little bit of guilt for how things went down with Kyle, so to see him doing so well made her feel more assured in the decision she made. It was the right call to leave – for both of them. Maybe this conversation wasn’t destined to be as bad as she thought.

“I hope it’s not uncomfortable for you that I’m officiating your brother’s wedding—”

“No, no” Sylvie said quickly as she rested her hand on his upper arm. “Tom deserves the best Chaplain on this side of Lake Michigan.” She joked as Kyle’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded.

“Good, that’s good.” He said, the tension over seeing Sylvie leaving his body. He finally realised that someone was standing behind Sylvie and when he looked over his shoulder, his face fell in surprise. “Captain.” He managed to muster out as Matt stepped forward and shook Kyle’s hand.

“Chaplain. Good to see you.” Matt replied, formal as ever.

Sylvie tensed a little. Out of everybody here, Kyle was the person she felt the worst about lying to.

“Are you two…” Kyle began as he motioned between the two of them, struggling to find the words.

“We’re dating, yeah.” Sylvie finished as she looped her arm through Matt’s. “It’s pretty new.” She added.

Kyle merely nodded and smiled gently at them. “I uh – I can’t say I’m surprised.” He confessed.

“Wh-why is that not surprising to you?” Sylvie asked with an awkward laugh. He hadn’t been around them for almost two years, how would he know what is and isn’t surprising concerning them?

Kyle shook his head, “Oh it’s nothing, I just – I always had a feeling there was something between you two. I know nothing happened when we were together,” He clarified, “but… there was just something in the way you looked at each other. And then Matt came by and said some really nice things about you one afternoon.”

Matt awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Of _all_ the things that happened in those few weeks before the Arnow Fire, he didn’t think that _this_ would be the moment that made him blush intensely.

Sylvie looked at Matt curiously, “He did?”

Kyle nodded, “Yeah, he just said you were really great and tough and that you could handle yourself.”

Sylvie shot Matt a lopsided smirk, “Is that right?” she questioned as Matt averted her gaze. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Sylvie knowing just how long he’d intensely admired her for. Every moment of this weekend seemed to be pushing him towards completely show his hand – and the thought terrified him.

“Yeah…” Kyle mumbled as he watched Sylvie’s stare bore through her Matt. “And by the smile on your face right now, I guess I never stood a chance after all.” He joked. It wasn’t the greatest feeling in the world to see this play out in front of him, but Sylvie seemed genuinely happy and that’s all he wanted for her. “I’ll uh – I’ll have to introduce you to my fiancée Alyssa later.”

Sylvie’s attention snapped round to Kyle, “Oh Kyle, you’re engaged?! That’s so exciting, congratulations.”

“Yeah, congratulations” Matt added. Of _course_ his momentary jealousy had been entirely misplaced. Kyle’s face beamed when he said his fiancée’s name. His mind wasn’t on Sylvie, just like her mind wasn’t on him.

“Yeah, thanks. We’re getting married this winter.” He told them proudly.

“Oh, a winter wedding, a bold choice in Indiana.” She said with a little laugh.

Before Kyle could respond, Lucy’s mother called him over to discuss some details of the service.

“It uh – it was great talking to you guys. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, I’m sure we’ll get a chance to talk again before it’s over.” Kyle said kindly.

“Yeah, you too Kyle.” Sylvie said as she waved lightly and Matt shook his hand again. Sylvie turned to look at Matt. “I wish all run-ins with exes could be like that.” She said with a laugh. “And I had no idea you went to see Kyle.” She remarked, wanting to find out more about what Matt did for her.

Matt shrugged, “I didn’t like that you were so down about him.” He explained. At the time, he hated that after one minor professional setback, the Chaplain packed it in with Sylvie and blew up something amazing. He hated it because Sylvie deserved better and he hated it because of the part _he_ had to play. “Besides, he wasn’t doing his job, he refused to come by the firehouse because of you. As captain, I had to say something.” He justified quickly. What he _didn’t_ tell her was that as soon as Kyle did come by, Matt was quick to send him packing. His head had never really been screwed on straight when it came to Sylvie Brett.

Sylvie nodded, “Ok, ok, whatever you say…” she teased. “I appreciate you doing that. You didn’t have to.” She thanked.

“Not a big deal.” He brushed off.

But it was. Every little thing he did for her was a big deal. She wondered how many other things he’d done for her that she didn’t even know about – a few unexplained moments immediately sprung to mind.

“Hey, Matt” she asked as he turned around to face her. “You know the way my locker at 51 was really squeaky to the point I was refusing to open it?” she asked.

“Yeah, why?” he asked as he took a swig of his drink.

“It stopped squeaking a few weeks ago. And the hinges don’t feel tight anymore.” She told him.

Matt nodded, “Somebody smart must have put a little bit of oil on them.”

“Right, right…” she nodded along. “And did you know that whenever Gallo and Ritter make a fruit salad for breakfast, there’s always a bowl set aside for me without the cantaloupe in it?”

“That’s considerate, you hate cantaloupe.” He observed while trying to keep a straight face.

“Very considerate, yeah. I asked Gallo and Ritter if they did this, but they had no idea I hated cantaloupe.” She told him. “And when I burst a tyre on the way in to work a few weeks back, it was miraculously fixed the next morning.”

Matt continued to nod, “Looks like you have a guardian angel.” He said with a small smile.

_Yeah, you._

Before Sylvie could say it out loud, one of the staff members from the lodge announced that dinner was ready to be served. As they made their way into the dining room, Sylvie quickly dragged Matt along and sat them down before her mother decided she needed to move them to a more _intrusive_ area of the table.

Tom and Lucy had decided that they wanted a full thanksgiving style dinner for the rehearsal. Normally, Sylvie hated a big dinner like that in the middle of a hot summer, but there was something strangely comforting about it right now. It was delicious – apart from the brussel sprouts of course. She slipped them onto Matt’s plate – and he didn’t say a word. He ate around them too, but better they contaminated _his_ plate than Sylvie’s.

When it came to dessert, they had a choice – cheesecake or a chocolate brownie. Sylvie’s sweet tooth was tortured by having to choose and it took her forever to decide. When she picked the cheesecake, Matt ordered the brownie and split them in half before Sylvie could say anything.

It was a very comfortable scene that didn’t go unnoticed by the people around them. They seemed so at ease and so in sync with each other. It was clear that Matt was always prepared to do whatever he could to make Sylvie’s life that little bit sweeter – even over something as simple as brussel sprouts and desserts.

“You two are just so _cute_ together.” Sylvie’s cousin Marina blurted out across the table as Matt and Sylvie stopped mid-bite and looked a little stunned. Somehow, they looked and acted like a couple without even being intentional about it. They really weren’t thinking about their lie when over their dinner.

“Oh uh… thanks.” Sylvie replied awkwardly.

“How did you two get together?” Marina’s husband Gordon asked. “I mean you sure kept him quiet Sylvie.” He joked as the rest of the table fell quiet, clearly interested to hear this story.

“Oh, we work together.” Sylvie said with a non-committal shrug – but she should have known better than to think that that would placate her nosey family.

“Oh, come on Sylvie” her aunt Astrid called from the other end of the table. “With the way you two look at each other it has to be a better story than that.”

Sylvie’s mouth fell open slightly. What was it with people talking about how they _looked_ at each other?

“Uh…” Sylvie began as she looked at Matt who was now leaning back in his chair, his arm draped over the back of hers. He looked comfortable. _Too_ comfortable. Sylvie grinned at him, “You tell them sweetie.”

Matt’s face fell, “What?”

“The story of how we got together. It’s your favourite story so it’s only right that you tell it.” she teased as she patted his knee.

Matt took in a deep breath through his nose. Sylvie Brett could be so sneaky when she wanted to be.

“Well…” he began as Sylvie took her turn to lean back and Matt leaned forward. “We met at work” he repeated as Sylvie nodded along with a smug smile on her face. She couldn’t wait to see what he came up with – he was _such_ a good actor after all.

“We were friends for a long time and I always had a great admiration for her. She’s a brilliant paramedic, she’s the most caring person I know, she always puts others first and the way she always sees the good in people – it’s quite frankly astounding. I found myself wishing I had her temperament.” He said with a little laugh. “And Sylvie made me feel like I _could_ be like her. Like I could be good because she always saw that good in me and she always made sure I worked to see it too.” He told them. “But the first _time_ I saw her as more than a friend was during a storm a few years back, we had a little kid hide in our turn out room because he’d witnessed a murder. He was so afraid, and he wouldn’t talk to anybody – except Sylvie. The care and comfort she showed him was what made me see her differently for the first time. It’s what made me see her as someone other than a friend I admired. It was the first time I questioned whether Sylvie was the one I was meant to be with this whole time.”

Matt stopped talking as it hit him what he’d just said. He was afraid he’d show his hand this weekend and now he’d officially been pushed off the cliff – and it felt unexpectedly good.

He looked at Sylvie whose face was full of a subtle shock. She hadn’t expected him to say that. She expected him to come up with an elaborate _lie_ – but every word was true, and she knew it in her heart.

“Then a few months back we had a dangerous call. Someone held a gun to Sylvie’s head and all the time I’d wasted not telling her how I felt flashed in front of me. I decided there and then that I couldn’t live with the regret of not telling her and I just couldn’t lose her. I realised life was too short to not be with the people you love.” He finished with a little smile as he looked at her. She may not have had a gun to her head recently, but she had in the past – and he hated to think of it. He hated to think that her life had ever been in danger like that, even if it was a reality of their jobs.

Sylvie avoided his gaze, afraid that it would give away the fact that her heart was thumping harshly against her chest. Nobody had ever spoken about her like that. Nobody had ever held her in such high regard. She knew this relationship wasn’t real – but his _words felt_ _real_. Matt Casey was the most honest person she knew, and she could see in his eyes that his words were genuine.

Suddenly, their ruse didn’t feel much like a ruse at all.

Nobody had ever had this effect on her. Even people she’d _actually_ dated. Even people she thought she _loved_. But now she was wondering whether she had even been in love in the past. Surely if she was it should have felt like this and more?

Instead of looking at Matt, she looked around at her family members – but the looks on their faces didn’t ease her at all. They were all smiling. They were all smiling like they were so proud of Sylvie and so excited that somebody had seen her goodness. Even Aunt Janette’s demeanour looked softer than usual.

“Sylvie” a voice said as she jumped slightly and followed the sound until she met Lucy’s face. “What is it you love about Matt?” she asked.

Sylvie took a deep breath and turned to look at Matt. Time to fall off the cliff too.

“He’s the most honest person I know.” She began. “He’s the most _giving_ person I know. He always shows up for the people he loves. In fact, he’ll show up for _anybody_. He’s just very… _good_. He says he wants a temperament like mine, but it’s a temperament I had never learned to appreciate. He taught me how to do that. He taught me how to see the good in myself as well as the good in others. People like that are one in a million” she said as a smile crept up onto her face. “And I can’t imagine life without him.”

There was a series of quiet aws around the table as Sylvie looked down it, her eyes landing on Martha’s. She had a _look_ on her face. The only way Sylvie could think to describe it was that it was a _knowing_ look.

“That a pretty special story Sylvie.” Marina said softly. Sylvie turned and looked back at Matt – who hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she started to speak.

Sylvie felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She bit her lip to stop herself from smiling to widely under his gaze, but the corners of her mouth turned up.

Suddenly, fear of what just happened ripped through Sylvie. This wasn’t real. It never could be real. Even if it _was_ real, it would never last. She _always_ screwed up everything she touched when it came to romance, and she wasn’t prepared to let Matt Casey be another screw up. She’d get over her feelings and she would rather have him as a friend than not at all.

Sylvie suddenly stood from her chair, her legs hitting the table clumsily as she went.

“I uh – I need some air” she said quickly. She turned around and moved to leave, forgetting her dress was fairly tight. She took a wide stride, her dress pulled her back, her foot caught on the leg of the chair and she fell, hitting the floor with a monumental _thump._

It appeared that this weekend was set to be a series of either intense or embarrassing moments.

Matt quickly jumped off his chair and helped her up. “Are you ok?” he asked quickly as everyone watched on, entirely confused by Sylvie’s frantic movements.

“Yeah, yeah, totally – _ow.”_ She said suddenly as she felt a stinging in her knee. She looked down and saw a graze on her leg and the blood steadily pouring down it.

“Come on, let’s get that cleaned” he said as he led her out of the room. He got a first aid kit from the front desk and led her outside for that fresh air she had originally been looking for. They walked to a bench and Sylvie sat down in front of him as he dropped to one knee and opened the first aid box.

“It’s fine Matt, I don’t need—”

“Would you please just let someone look after _you_ for a change?” he challenged with raised eyebrows as she closed her mouth and nodded her head.

His hand slipped up her calf before resting under her knee. Sylvie felt a shudder run through her at his touch. She’d felt it all day, but against her bare skin the feeling was intensified and the tension between them was palpable. Matt lifted an anti-septic wipe and lightly started to clean the cut.

“ _Ah, geez Casey_ …” she hissed as Matt smirked.

“Considering how you prod at me when I need medical attention, you have no grounds to moan right now…” he reasoned as she playfully glared at him.

“I was just doing my job.”

“Really? Just doing your job?” he questioned, stopping briefly to look up at her.

Sylvie gulped, “Yeah.” She said quietly. “Just my job.”

Matt nodded and turned his attention back to her knee, “Considering how you just landed me in it with your family, this seems like a fitting revenge…” he teased as she slapped his arm.

“Hey, _you_ are the one who claimed to be such a good actor.” She reminded him as he chuckled. “I was just giving you the opportunity to shine.”

Matt chuckled, “That’s fair. Though it’s really not that hard to pretend to love you. There are plenty of amazing things to say about you.” He wasn’t acting earlier. And while he was willing to test the waters on what he said, he wasn’t prepared to _completely_ blow this up right now. They still had Saturday and Sunday to get through and he was dedicated to this ruse. For her, of course, _not_ for him.

He didn’t have to worry about it completely blowing up, however, because Sylvie didn’t say anything. Instead, she just watched him as he took a band aid and put it on her knee.

“You’re all set.” He said quietly as he let go of her leg and looked up at her.

In that moment she started to understand why people were always talking about how they looked at each other. He was looking at her with such amazement in his eyes. He was looking at her like he never wanted to look away again.

“Sylvie” a voice said from the door as Tom walked towards them.

Sylvie jumped up quickly like she’d been burned – and smacked Matt on the chin with her wounded knee in the process.

 _“Sylvie”_ Matt hissed as he fell back on his behind and rubbed his chin as Sylvie lurched forward and held her knee, reaching her other arm out to him.

“Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry. Are you ok?” she asked quickly as her face winced with pain. What the _hell_ was wrong with her today?

“Yeah, I’m fine” he insisted as he stood up and Sylvie immediately inspected his chin.

She grimaced, “I think that might bruise…”

“I’ll go get some ice…” he said as he rubbed his jaw and walked inside.

“ _God”_ Sylvie groaned as she collapsed back on the bench with her head in her hands, “I’m an _idiot_.” She grumbled as Tom sat beside her.

“ _What_ is going on with you Sylvie?” He asked. “You’re being… _shifty_. You have been since the moment you arrived.”

Sylvie lifted her head and looked at her brother. He knew something was up. He _always_ knew when something was up – and she could really do with getting this off her chest.

“I have to tell you something and I need you not to judge me and remember how crazy and intense our family can be when you wonder why I did it—”

“Sylvie, spit it out.” He interrupted.

Sylvie held her breath before she blurted out, “Matt and I aren’t dating. He’s just a friend that I brought as back up and things just spun out of control and now we’re in this _ruse_ and everyone is convinced we’re so in love and it’s all a lie and I just _kneed_ him in the _face.”_ She rambled before letting out a huge breath and a groan. She looked at her brother who was merely blinking at her, entirely shocked by her outburst. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Pretty convincing _ruse_ for two people who are just friends.” He remarked.

“He’s a good actor…” she grumbled as she looked to her feet.

“Maybe, but _you’re_ not.” He replied. Tom knew his sister. She was incredibly caring and goofy. She loved cheesy romance novels and she hated clowns. She wore her heart on her sleeve and she was clearly totally smitten by Captain Matt Casey. “You love him.” He simply observed – because it _was_ that simple, even if Sylvie couldn’t see it or accept it.

Sylvie shook her head, “I can’t Tom.” She replied quietly.

“Why not?”

“He is the one person I’m not prepared to lose.”

Tom smiled, “From the way he looks at you, I don’t think you could ever lose him.”

_“Sylvie, Tom!”_

The door opened and Lucy appeared behind it. “Come on, we’re going to play some post dinner charades.”

Sylvie gasped and stood up, “I _love_ charades!” she announced, her mood instantly shifting. “And Matt and I are unbeatable at it, you’re going to regret suggesting this” she said as she limped slightly back into the lodge to find him.

Soon enough, she spotted him sitting in the love seat in the sitting area, holding an icepack to his chin. She kicked off her heels, setting them by the door before walking towards him, a sympathetic smile on her face.

“How’s the patient?” she asked as she sat down next to him, her feet landing on the ottoman in front of them.

Matt grabbed a blanket and threw it over their laps before moving his free arm behind her shoulder, his fingers trailing lazy patterns up and down her arm.

“It was touch and go for a while but, I think I’ll live.” He teased.

Sylvie grinned, “It would have quite the story if a tough firefighter like you was taken out by my _knee_.”

“I _did_ say we’re in this together so since you were embarrassed about your fall, it was only right that I have something embarrassing happen to me.” He reasoned.

“Your commitment is _exemplary_.” She said with a patronising clap as he rolled her eyes. “Did you know we’re playing charades? We’re going to absolutely _dominate_ this.” She said confidently as she settled further into his chest.

Matt smiled against her head, “I know. I suggested it.”

* * *

As suspected, Sylvie and Matt dominated at charades. They were a dream team, always managing to guess what the other was doing. The Bretts were a competitive bunch and they were _incredibly_ frustrated with their continuous losses. So much so, that most of Sylvie’s family said they would never play Charades with them again. It was no fun if there wasn’t any element of competition.

Sylvie and Matt giggled their way upstairs after the games ended. They couldn’t quite believe that they made it through without a single shot of tequila. Before long, they were standing in the bathroom, brushing their teeth beside each other. It was a comfortable, simple, domesticated scene.

“I uh – I’m sorry for the craziness of today.” Sylvie said after she rinsed her mouth. She then looked at him through the reflection of the bathroom mirror. “I’m not sure you would have said yes to all of this if you really knew the extent of the mayhem.”

“No, no, _thank you_ for the craziness.” He insisted as he set his toothbrush back in the holder. “I know it’s intense for you and I know there are some nasty people making rude comments but… the way your family lit up when you walked into the room today and the joy on their faces when I told them our story – they love you so much Sylvie. And rightly so, I can’t imagine how anybody could truly know you and not love you.”

 _Love_. _Did that mean he loved_ _her_?

_No, Sylvie. Not today, this is not what this is about, it’s not real._

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for what I have. Especially considering what you’ve told me about your family.” She remarked. He hadn’t said much, but she knew he didn’t have an easy upbringing. She knew it lacked the warmth the Bretts brought into her life.

Matt shook his head, “everybody’s family struggles are different, there’s no point comparing. I have Christie and I have Violet and I love them a lot. I talk to my mom every now and again and it’s fine. It’s mine and it’s good in its own kind of screwed up way.” He said with a scoff. “But what you have? It’s really special. I’d love to have a family like this one day.” He fantasised. The universe seemed to have other plans, but there was no harm in dreaming.

“You will.” She said with a nod of certainty.

Matt Casey deserved everything he wanted and more – yet neither of them could grasp that everything they _both_ deserved was standing right beside them.


	4. The Right Fit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvie and Matt reach boiling point at Tom and Lucy's wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I think we all just need some soppy romantic Brettsey goodness... right?
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

** Chapter Four – The Right Fit  **

The sun blasted through the large windows of Sylvie and Matt’s room at the lodge. Sylvie loved being woken up by the natural light during the summer. It felt so refreshing. What _also_ felt refreshing was this bed. The mattress was to _die_ for. As she stirred awake, a small smile on her face from the amazing sleep she had, she reached out expecting to find more mattress.

But no – it definitely _wasn’t_ mattress. She slowly opened her eyes, coming face to face with a t-shirt clad chest. _Matt’s_ chest to be precise. When they’d gotten into bed the previous evening, they laid as far away from each other as they could in a bid to be respectful – it felt a little ridiculous but they couldn’t think what else to do. And somehow, despite having a whole king-sized bed between them, they gravitated to each other to the point that they now lay facing each other, Sylvie carefully tucked under Matt’s chin, sleeping better than she’d slept in months.

Sylvie internally groaned over how perfect it felt. They just _fit_. It was like they had been carved specifically for each other. Sylvie then realised that Matt had his arm lazily draped over her waist.

She had to get out of here.

But how to do it without waking him up?

She slowly lifted the covers, shifting her body backwards until his arm flopped onto the bed. Now that she was out from under his chest, she couldn’t help but stop and look at him. He was so _cute_ when he was asleep. His hair was all over the place and for once he didn’t look like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

 _Focus Sylvie_. _You’re supposed to be making a quick escape._

She quietly climbed off the bed and slipped a discarded sweater over her head and pulled her shoes on. She tiptoed to the closet, opening it up and carefully lifting her bridesmaid’s dress out. Before she could do anything else, there was a shuffling from the bed. She turned around and saw Matt move to his back before rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

So much for making a quick escape. But maybe he didn’t remember the position they ended up in last night, so maybe it wouldn’t _actually_ be awkward.

“What time is it?” Matt grumbled.

“It’s early, I didn’t want to wake you.” She explained. “I uh – I’m going to get ready with the other bridesmaids, Lucy would kill me if I didn’t do all the girly pre-wedding stuff with them.” She said with a little laugh. “Are you good if I go?”

“Yeah, yeah” Matt said as he sat up in bed. “I’ll manage.”

Sylvie nodded, “Ok… I wouldn’t be much fun anyway if I stayed, I have to go over my speech for the reception.”

Matt smiled absentmindedly, “I didn’t know you were giving a speech.”

Sylvie shrugged, “It’s just a short thing, nothing special, but Lucy insisted. She thinks I have untouched wisdom when it comes to love. My two failed engagements tend to disagree.”

“You have more wisdom than most Sylvie. Trust me. You’ve always been a voice of reason in my life.” Matt reminded her. Whenever he had a problem or a worry, she was always quick to make it better. She was always quick to be a source of comfort and she never added to his anguish.

“Well, I’m happy to help.” She said with a court nod. God, could she sound any more _procedural_? This wasn’t a professional courtesy, this was her friend, her very _good_ friend. “I uh – I should go. I will see you at the altar.” She joked before her face fell. “I mean – Lucy and Tom’s altar. I’ll be up there, you’ll be sitting with everyone else, so not _our_ altar, we’re not meeting there, why would we do that?” she awkwardly rambled, letting out a dorky, breathy laugh at the end.

Matt furrowed his brows, “You ok?” she asked, his voice rising at the end of his sentence. She was being _weird._ Had he _missed_ something?

“Yeah, all good. Pre-wedding nerves!” she said with a little laugh as she walked backwards towards the door. “I’ll see you later.” She said quickly before she dashed out the door, wishing the ground would just swallow her whole.

* * *

They’d only been apart for a couple of hours and Matt missed her. It seemed silly, but they’d spent an intense day together yesterday and aside from the cut knee, bruised chin and awkward run ins, it had been one the best days he’d had in a _long_ time.

And now he was standing in the lounge, awkwardly fixing his tie, just waiting to see her. He was passing the time by talking with a number of Sylvie’s family members, but he could barely focus. His mind kept drifting to her.

Did she have as a good a day as he had yesterday?

Did she know how beautiful she looked in her dress?

Did she know that what he said to her family yesterday _wasn’t_ a lie?

For the first time, Matt freely admitted to himself that it wasn’t a lie. The ruse wasn’t feeling like a ruse anymore and he didn’t know how to handle it.

 _“You_ ” he suddenly heard a voice behind him say as he turned around, his face immediately falling. He didn’t know this man, but he knew enough to know that he had _no_ interest in talking to him. Quite frankly, he couldn’t believe Tom and Lucy even invited him to their wedding.

“You work in Chicago with Sylvie. Or more than work with, I hear you’re the boyfriend now.” The man said as Matt clenched his jaw. “Harrison Bennett” he introduced as he held out his hand. Matt reluctantly shook it.

“Matt Casey.”

“I’m Sylvie’s former fiancée.” Harrison informed him with a little smirk.

“I remember.” Matt said with a court nod.

“She broke up with me because I had the audacity to look out for her.” Harrison said with a laugh. “But I’m sure she spun a different story.”

Matt glared. Did this guy _really_ think he’d just get on board with Harrison’s toxic masculinity bullshit? Who the _hell_ did he think he was approaching her boyfriend to talk crap about her? Was he really that _bitter_ about something that happened 6 years ago?

“No spinning. Just the truth.” Matt told him.

Harrison quirked his head to the side slightly, “Right… well, I’m amazed she lasted this long in Chicago. It must be hard having someone so emotional on the job. She always did wear her heart on the sleeve.”

“Actually, that’s what makes her one of the best paramedics in the CFD.” Matt immediately defended as Harrison’s face fell. “She doesn’t leave her heart in her locker and pick it up at the end of the day. She takes it with her on every call and it means the people she looks after get the best care possible. It means she goes beyond the job and makes a difference in people’s lives. So, no – it’s _not_ hard. The CFD is incredibly lucky to have her. _I’m_ lucky to have her.”

Harrison scoffed lightly, “sounds like we know two very different Sylvies.”

“Or maybe you just didn’t know her at all.” Matt countered. “So, if you came over here with the intention of trying to make me think bad of my girlfriend – your confidence in your ability to do so is entirely misplaced. And I can assure you, you won’t be able to make her feel bad either.”

Harrison’s posture stiffened considerably. His arrogance had backfired. It was clear he wasn’t used to people putting him in his place. He was a manipulative _asshole_ who always got his way. But not when it came to Sylvie. Not anymore.

“I see one thing is still the same – Sylvie always needs someone else to fight her battles.” Harrison said, taking one last shot.

Matt laughed incredulously, “Oh no, she is _more_ than capable of handling herself. She just happens to have someone else in her corner who is going to fight alongside her – not _for_ her. And that’s a pretty special thing.”

Matt watched as Harrison looked over his shoulder. He turned his head and realised that Sylvie had descended the stairs in her bridesmaid’s dress. She looked stunning. _Of course_ she looked stunning. Blue was definitely her colour.

Matt didn’t even bother excusing himself from his conversation with Harrison. Instead, he just turned around and confidently walked towards Sylvie as she looked around the floor for something. She looked up just as he approached her and smiled.

“He—”

Matt cut her off, holding her cheeks in his hands and kissing her soundly. Sylvie instantly melted into his unexpected kiss. How could a kiss make someone’s head spin so much? Everything around her just fell away and it felt like they were the only two people in this world.

Matt pulled back and Sylvie instinctively fell forward slightly. Her eyes remained closed, her mouth fell open and her eyebrows raised.

“You’re amazing.” Matt said quietly, his hands remaining on her cheeks as she slowly opened her eyes and saw him lovingly gazing at her. “I’m sorry that anybody ever made you feel like less than that.”

“I uh – I just want it on record that I’m a much better kisser when I’m not ambushed.” She retorted, throwing his line back at her.

Matt smirked, “Just when you’re doing the ambushing.”

“Uh huh…” she managed to get out. Sylvie looked over Matt’s shoulder and saw Harrison sulking in the corner. She smirked. She could only imagine what Matt said to put him in his place. She could also only imagine what was going through Harrison’s mind right now seeing Sylvie kiss her new, supportive, handsome boyfriend.

She couldn’t help but feel a little _smug_ about it all.

Matt lowered his hands, gently rubbing her arms, “I thought you said I’d see you at the altar?”

“I left my shoes by the door last night.” She explained as she nodded towards the white sandals that lay right where she left them.

Matt looked down at her feet and saw she was wearing a pair of fluffy socks. It was an interesting look against her slightly puffy knee length bridesmaid’s dress.

“Nice socks.” He teased.

Sylvie looked down at them and laughed, “Thanks. You know how ridiculously cold my feet get. I’m trying to preserve the heat for as long as possible.”

“Well, you look beautiful. You always do.” He complimented with a smile before moving a stray hair off her cheek. He had been so worked up just a few minutes ago by Harrison and it was remarkable to him that even just talking to Sylvie for 30 seconds about her cold feet could instantly shift his mood. It was rare to have people in your life who could make you feel better by doing barely anything at all.

“Thanks” Sylvie replied softly. “I uh – I should get back upstairs.” She said as she moved out of his hold. “Save me a dance later?” she asked as she lifted her shoes.

Matt nodded, “count on it.”

Sylvie grinned at him before turning around and ascending the stairs and Matt watched her till the last possible second.

Yeah. He was hopelessly _smitten_ with Sylvie Brett.

* * *

Matt wasn’t sure he’d ever been to a wedding that had started on time, but from what he’d learnt of Martha Brett in the short time that he knew her, she was a meticulous planner and she made sure that Lucy walked down that aisle at 12pm on the dot.

The whole ceremony was beautiful. Tom cried. Lucy cried. Martha _wept_. Matt could freely admit that he was a bit of a romantic at heart and he loved celebrating love.

What he _especially_ loved about today, however, was Sylvie. She looked so radiant as she stood at the altar beside Lucy. His eyes were on her the whole time and every now and again she caught his eye, the blush rising in her cheeks.

Sylvie admittedly kept trying to steal glances at him all through the ceremony without being too obvious. He just looked so _good_ in his suit and the way he was smiling at her from his chair – she’d never blushed so much in her life.

During the drinks reception that followed, Sylvie made her way around the room, speaking to all of the guests and catching up with people she hadn’t seen in a long time. At first, she was worried about just leaving Matt on his own, but then she spotted him talking with her family and her old friends like they’d known each other forever. He looked so at ease with them and he fit right into her world.

The way he fit in her life seemed to be a running theme of the day.

“I met your boyfriend earlier Sylvie” an old friend of her parents had said to her as she watched Matt work the room. “He’s terrific.”

Sylvie smiled, her eyes remaining firmly on him, watching as he laughed at something her cousin John said.

“Yeah. He’s really great.” She mumbled out.

Truly, utterly, _amazingly_ great – and she was _smitten_ with him. There was no doubt in mind about that.

Yet she was still so afraid to tell him that, because once that was out there, there was no going back.

She avoided him a little for the rest of the afternoon. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up this ruse without it starting to hurt. Especially since he’d taken _his_ chance to catch her off guard with a kiss.

 _No._ She was reading too much into it. He might think highly of her, he might think she’s great, but he didn’t love her in the way she wanted to be loved. There was no way. She wasn’t convinced _anybody_ ever would, so why would Casey break that trend? He was her friend, they worked in an intense environment together, it was all a reaction to the stress in their lives.

It wasn’t real – _right?_

In her Matt-daze, she’d walked straight passed Kyle, Harrison and Hope who had all gone to speak to her. She’d barely registered her mother pulling her into the reception hall and seating her down at the head table beside Lucy. She hardly listened to her father, Lucy’s father and Tom’s best man’s speeches

And then it was her turn. Lucy nudged her as Sylvie awkwardly cleared her throat and walked towards the microphone at the front of the room. She looked around the eyes that were boring through her and gulped. She wasn’t much of a public speaker, but here went nothing.

“I’m not much of a wordsmith, but when I was preparing this speech, somebody else’s words jumped out at me and they summed up perfectly what I wanted to say. They’re from a poem by Seamus Heaney, called _Scaffolding_ and I wanted to share it tonight.” Sylvie introduced as she looked down at her page to read out the poem:

_“Masons, when they start upon a building,  
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;_

_Make sure that plants won’t slip at busy points,  
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints._

_And yet all this comes down when the job’s done  
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone._

_So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be  
Old bridges breaking between you and me_

_Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall  
Confident that we have built our wall.”_

Sylvie set the page down before turning to her brother and new sister-in-law, “I have watched Tom and Lucy build the walls of their relationship over the past few years and it has been a joy to see. They have the most solid foundation of love and friendship and respect. The scaffolds of their relationship have been tested and the bonds tightened. So now, as they enter this new phase of life, and hard times come and bridges break – they can let the scaffolds they have built fall. They can let them fall being assured that the _bones_ will _never_ break. It is something they have put all of their love and devotion into and I can’t wait to see how they grow even further as husband and wife. So, if everyone would like to raise their glasses with me – to Tom and Lucy. I love you both. To your future.”

As the room cheered to Sylvie’s speech, she made her way across the room and sat down beside Matt, rather than at the head table and raised her glass to him. It felt instinctive to find him right now, she didn’t even question whether she should. Her feet just led her to him. They _always_ led her to him.

“Cheers” she said as he lifted his again and clinked it against hers.

“Cheers” he mirrored. “I thought you said you weren’t much of a wordsmith?” he asked. That was pretty damn perfect in his mind – and it resonated with him so deeply. It resonated because it was how he felt about her.

“Seamus Heaney did all the talking for me.” She insisted. She was self-deprecating to a fault sometimes. “He said all I wanted to say. He said everything I hope for in my _own_ relationships.” She added. “If you’ve built solid foundations with someone, if you’ve weathered storms together, if you’ve worked hard to make sure that you talk to each other and you respect each other – the biggest storm could come along and those foundations won’t budge.”

Matt nodded silently. It was all he wanted to. He wanted somebody who would face every storm in life with him as his partner. He also wanted somebody who wouldn’t pick apart the foundations themselves by leaving him out of the biggest moments of their lives.

That was all he wanted out of a relationship, but truthfully, it boiled down to one single fact above all:

He wanted _Sylvie._

He didn’t just want the relationship they would have, he wanted _her_ and _only_ her. He wanted her light and her compassion and her care in his life at every moment of every day.

Matt cleared his throat, bringing himself back down to Earth before he lost himself in his thoughts of her. He’d basically missed all of Tom and Lucy’s joint speech and now there were people up dancing. He turned to Sylvie and held out his hand.

“How about that dance?”

Sylvie nodded and took it, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor. He humorously let her spin under his hand before slowly pulling her against his chest. His hand lay softly on the small of her back, the other holding her hand by their shoulders. They were certain they could feel each other’s hearts pumping against their chests.

It felt like a bittersweet moment. Tomorrow they would go back to being Brett and Casey, co-workers and friends. They would no longer be the couple that everyone in Fowlerton had fawned over. So, they were both determined to enjoy this moment while they had it.

“Thanks of being a part of this ruse with me.” Sylvie said.

Matt chuckled, “After this is over, I never want to hear the word _ruse_ again.” He joked.

Sylvie smiled, “That’s totally fair.”

“Especially when—” Matt began, but then paused. The words he wanted to say to Sylvie were right on the tip of his tongue, but his fear held him back. His fear that he could screw up the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. His fear that she would realise he didn’t deserve her and her goodness in his life.

“Especially when… what?” Sylvie pried further. “Especially when it doesn’t feel like much of a ruse anymore?” she questioned in a moment of unexpected confidence. She had her own fears. She feared she would screw it up too. She feared she would lose him like she loses everybody. But right now, being in his arms, those fears seemed insignificant.

How could something that they felt they were destined to lose also feel so right?

Tom’s words to Sylvie from the night before were ringing in her ears.

_“From the way he’s looking at you, I don’t think you could ever lose him.”_

Matt nodded his head, “You could never be a ruse to me Sylvie.” He confessed quietly, their noses brushing and their lips dangerously close.

Matt dipped his head that little bit closer to hers, their lips grazing. He was moments from kissing her when Lucy’s voice interrupted them.

 _“Sylvie!”_ she exclaimed with a giggle from across the dance floor.

Sylvie jumped in her spot, stepping away from Casey, immediately rubbing her forehead awkwardly as she willed her heart to stop beating so fast.

“Yeah?” she called back breathlessly.

“We’re about to throw the bouquet, you don’t want to miss it!” Lucy told her before she darted outside.

Sylvie looked at Matt briefly before looking at her feet. Every time they came close to getting it right, something got in the way. Maybe this was the universe’s way of telling them that it wasn’t meant to be.

“I should – I should go.” Sylvie said quietly before walking away from him as quickly as her feet would take her.

* * *

The night was drawing to a close and everyone was starting to disperse to their rooms or back home to Fowlerton. There was no usual send off for the bride and groom since they were staying here tonight and joining the family for breakfast and a walk tomorrow before they left on their honeymoon.

Since their almost kiss on the dance floor, Matt hadn’t been in much of a party mood. He sat silently for the rest of the evening, stuck in his own thoughts. Now, he watched as Sylvie said goodbye to the guests. She was smiling, but it didn’t seem as bright as usual. Something just seemed… _off._

“Matt” he heard a voice say behind him as he turned around and saw Tom walking towards him. “You guys going to head out soon?” he asked as Matt turned back around to look at Sylvie.

“Yeah, it’s getting late.” He replied simply.

Tom eyed Matt curiously. He looked a bit like a lovesick puppy – and all Tom wanted to do was shake some sense into him.

“Don’t give up.” He said as Matt looked at him with a frown.

“On what?”

“Sylvie. Don’t give up on whatever it is you two have.” He added. “She told me that this boyfriend-girlfriend thing is all an act but – I don’t buy it. She loves you and from the way you look at her I’m guessing you love her too.”

“Tom—”

“So don’t give up. She’s worth it.” Tom replied simply. Because it _was_ that simple. _He loved her and she was worth it._ “Night Matt” he said as he patted him briefly on the shoulder before walking over to Lucy.

Matt turned his attention back to Sylvie, only to find that she had disappeared. His heart sunk. Tom was right. She was worth everything and more and he was tired of denying it.

He rushed towards the stairs, climbing them two at a time and briskly walked down the hallway to their room. As he turned the corner, it appeared he’d only just missed her as he spotted her outside their door, put the key in the lock.

“Sylvie” He said, grabbing her attention just as she opened the door.

She sent him a tight-lipped smile, “Hey” she greeted, her eyes narrowing when she noticed the determination in his stride. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Finishing what I started earlier” he said before swooping down and kissing her.

Sylvie froze for a moment, stunned by his actions, but yet again she found herself melting into him, her hands snaked around his neck, her lips falling open at the brush of his tongue against them. His kisses were hypnotic and now that she’d had a taste of them, she wasn’t sure she could ever go without them again.

Matt hands were firm on her hips as he backed her through the door, kicking it shut behind him, their lips never losing contact once. Suddenly, Sylvie smiled against his kiss – it was something he didn’t realise could feel so good.

He smiled back into her kiss, his hands instinctively lowering to her upper thighs. He lifted her seamlessly as she rhythmically wrapped them around his waist, yet again reminding her about how well they fit. Matt carefully backed them towards the bed, lowering them down on it while trying to keep as closely connected as possible.

They breathlessly pulled their lips apart, taking a minute to process that they were here in this moment. Sylvie lifted her hand, her fingers tenderly touching his cheek as if she had to check that he was really here.

Matt beamed at her in response. This _was_ real. This was _so very real,_ and it was already a high they weren’t convinced they would ever come down from.

Matt swooped down again, kissing her senselessly, determined to show her just how real it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seamus Heaney used to handwrite Scaffolding and give it to couples as a wedding day present - which is just one of the sweetest things in the world to me.


	5. To the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Sylvie work out some kinks before heading back to Chicago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter!
> 
> THANK YOU for all the love on this story. All of your comments have continually put a smile on my face. The Brettsey fans are the best! I hope this has been a welcomed respite from the angst this week. I know it's been respite for me to write it! And it just makes me more excited to get out cute, soft Brettsey back. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this final snippet of The Ruse 
> 
> Ems x

** Chapter Five – To the Future **

Sylvie released a deep yawn as she sat at the end of the bed, pulling her sneakers on. Very little sleep had been had last night, but it was for an entirely worthwhile cause. She and Matt had stayed up all night tangled together in the sheets until they were sweaty and spent. They didn’t realise that sex could feel like personal completion. It was as if every moment in their lives had been leading them to this moment. They were the final piece of the puzzle for each other and life suddenly made sense.

In between rounds, they spent their time talking and laughing about anything and everything. They couldn’t remember the last time they’d laughed so much and felt genuinely joyful. Sylvie was feeling especially joyful over Matt confessing he was behind the no longer squeaky locker, the cantaloupe-less fruit salad and her fixed tyre.

 _“I knew it!”_ she had exclaimed proudly, and then proceeded to tease him for being a smitten puppy. He didn’t mind though. It was entirely true.

When Sylvie woke up after falling asleep for an hour, however, her mood had shifted as some buried fears started to rise. Matt had felt her shift in mood as soon as he woke up and saw her dressed at the end of the bed. Something was bothering her. He sat up with a groan, the bedsheet falling over his lap.

“How do you have any energy right now?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Sylvie turned her head and gave him a lopsided smirk, “I think I’m still running on endorphins.”

Matt returned her smirk, “I’m going to need a power nap before we drive home.”

“I’m sure we could sneak one in. But we have to go for breakfast and a walk first.” Sylvie reminded him. Her mother would kill her if she didn’t show up, or was even slightly late.

“Right” Matt said as he lifted his watch from the side table to check the time. It was still early, they had time. But Sylvie was hurrying around the room, gathering her stuff. It appeared he had been right on his instant read of her mood. “Are you ok?” he asked curiously as he climbed out of bed, slipped his boxers on and walked over to her.

“Yeah, fine, we just need to get ready.”  
  
 _No. Not fine._ She was very deliberately not looking at him. What was going through her head right now? She didn’t regret last night… did she?

“Hey” he said as he reached out for her arm, turning her around and forcing her to look at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

Sylvie opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, there was a knock on the door. It seemed like everybody was intent on interrupting them this weekend.

 _“Sylvie!”_ they heard a little voice call from behind the door. _“Wake up!”_

Sylvie shot Matt a regretful smile before walking towards the door and opening it, coming face to face with her little cousins Susie and Finn.

“Hey guys” she greeted.

“ _Yes,_ you’re awake! Mom told us not to wake you, so don’t tell her that we came knocking…” Finn said guiltily.

Sylvie chuckled, “Your secret’s safe with me. What’s up?”

“We were wondering if you and Matt would come and play outside with us before breakfast” Finn told her as Susie nodded excitedly.

Susie leaned forward slightly, “We really like him Sylvie, good job” she loudly whispered, giving Sylvie her seal of approval.

Matt bit his lip behind her to stop himself from laughing. It appeared he really had made quite the impression on Sylvie’s family, especially the youngest members.

“Um… yeah. We would love to.” Sylvie said with a nod. She turned back to Matt and saw him lift a towel for a shower. “Why don’t we head on down and Matt can join us when he’s ready?” she asked. The conversation they were about to have could wait.

Matt opened his mouth to protest and say they should talk first, but he closed it again. Maybe now wasn’t the time. Maybe last night was the only moment timing would ever be on their side. So instead, he simply nodded in agreement.

Sylvie stared at him for a moment before turning and walking towards him. She rested her hands on his neck and gave him a short but sweet kiss.

“I’m fine. I promise.” She whispered before turning and following her cousins downstairs.

If she was fine, why did Matt feel so nervous?

* * *

Matt and Sylvie spent all morning playing with Susie and Finn. They had a great time and as it usually did, Matt’s heart beat a little bit faster for Sylvie while seeing her with kids. Susie and Finn even managed to convince them to sit at the kiddie’s table for breakfast – much to Martha’s dismay. She hated any missed opportunity to talk to (or in Sylvie’s mind, to _grill_ ) Matt.

Matt felt like he was in a total daze the entire morning. Although he was used to not getting much sleep when on shift, this felt like another level of exhaustion. He was starting to come down from a great emotional high and it was kicking his ass. _Sylvie_ was kicking his ass. She was worried about something and they still hadn’t had the chance to talk about it. He hoped they’d have a moment before they went on their walk through the fields, but Martha and Lucy dragged them all outside as soon as they finished breakfast. Now, he was walking a number of paces behind Sylvie while she conversed with her cousin Marina.

This was torture. When would this walk be over?

“You look like a man with a lot on your mind.” He heard someone say as they approached him. He turned his head and saw Sylvie’s dad Peter fall into line with him.

“I’m just tired. You guys really know how to throw a party.” He brushed off.

Peter chuckled, “That we do. Sylvie’s 6th birthday party was probably the best party we ever threw. All the Disney Princesses were there, Sylvie cried she was that excited about it.”

Matt laughed, “Yeah she’s mentioned something about her Disney Princess fever before.”

“Did she ever tell you that she used to pretend her birth parents were British royals?” Peter asked.

“Yeah. She did. She didn’t mention that you knew that though.” Matt commented, surprised that Sylvie’s parents were well aware of where Sylvie’s imagination led her.

“Parents have eyes and ears everywhere.” Peter retorted. “We heard her say it a couple of times when she was playing. Never said anything to us about it though – but that’s just typical Sylvie. She’s always afraid she’s going to disappoint other people. She’s always afraid that she’s not going to be enough for people. Whenever she got in trouble as a little girl, which admittedly was very rare, she would cry and cry and say things like ‘please don’t send me back’.” Peter told him, a sad look gracing his face. It clearly pained him that his daughter would think they could _ever_ let her go. She was theirs and that was all that mattered to them, but for Sylvie, the hurt ran deeper than that. If her birth parents gave her up, why wouldn’t her adoptive parents too? “That was the only time we knew how she felt about being adopted. She loved us dearly and knew we were meant to be her parents, but she always wondered _why_ things happened the way they did.”

“And she never asked you about her birth parents?” Matt asked. He knew for a fact she hadn’t because Sylvie said as much, but he was curious as to what Peter thought of it all.

“No, she didn’t. I think she worried it would cause us pain.” Peter analysed. “She never wants to disappoint people. Can sometimes cause her to hold back.”

Matt gulped. Maybe that was it. Maybe Sylvie woke up and thought that whatever happened between them wasn’t right and she regretted it. Maybe she was being quiet because she was scared to tell him. Because she didn’t want to hurt him.

“But I suppose you already know that. Considering it’s one of the things you love so much about her.” Peter said.

“Sorry?” Matt asked, not really listening to what Peter said.

“You said you love that she always puts others first.” Peter reminded him.

Matt nodded, “Right, yeah. She’s selfless to a fault.” He said with a sigh. “I wish she’d let herself be selfish sometimes. She deserves to fight for her own happiness too.”

“Yeah, she does. Hopefully she’ll realise that she is incredibly happy with you.”

Matt slowly turned his head and looked at Peter, the shock written on his face. Peter merely smirked at him.

“I knew about your little ruse the moment Sylvie blurted out ‘we’re dating’.” He revealed. “I’m just shocked she really thought I wouldn’t know when my little girl was lying.”

Matt let out a short, breathy laugh, entirely unsure how to respond. It was evident that Peter Brett had been a silent observer of their fake relationship this entire time – and he’d come to the conclusion that they were too foolish to realise that their ‘fake’ relationship was probably the best thing to ever happen to them.

“But the way you speak about each other and the way you _look_ at one another – there’s nothing fake about that and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sylvie so happy. And if you are everything that she says you are, then I hope she holds onto that happiness for as long as she can.”

“I hope I can always be everything she says I am. My feelings for her – they’re real, in a very big way.” He confessed. Truthfully, he loved her. He did, but he wanted _her_ to be the first person to hear those words.

Peter smiled, “I know. Just… make sure she knows it too.” He walked on a little further, leaving Matt taking slow and pensive steps behind him. “Oh, and Matt? Don’t lie to me again. I have some very dangerous tools on my farm.”

Matt bit back a smirk, “Yes, sir…”

It felt good knowing that Sylvie’s father supported their relationship. It felt good being reminded that this was something he had to always fight for. What didn’t feel so good, however, was the possibility that Sylvie might regret it. Peter thought she was happy, but maybe she’d had a change of heart. Her mood this morning suggested that might be the case.

Matt realised that they were soon back and the lodge. He decided that he was done waiting around and letting them be interrupted. He needed to know what was going on.

* * *

Sylvie walked onto the porch at the lodge and looked backwards to see if she could spot Matt. They needed to think about heading back to Chicago soon. They were tired enough as it was and they didn’t want to leave it too late.

On top of that, they _really_ needed to talk. They hadn’t had the chance yet and she was desperate to tell him what was on her mind. She realised that she shouldn’t have held it in for even a second this morning, but she didn’t want to freak him out. She then realised that the silence probably freaked him out _more_. She didn’t want to get this relationship wrong from the get-go. They were the best communicators as friends, she didn’t want that to change now they’d become so much more than that. That ability to communicate was part of their foundation as a partnership. It was too important to let slip.

Instead of spying Matt as she turned, she came face to face with her father.

“Hi dad” she greeted happily.

Peter sighed and put his hands on her arms, “He’s worth it honey.”

“…What?” Sylvie asked, entirely confused by his response.

“Matt. He’s worth it. He’s worth the fear. He’s worth admitting your _lie_ is no longer a lie.”

Sylvie’s mouth fell agape. Her dad _knew?_ Of course he knew. He always knew. He and Tom had like a 6th sense or something.

“He won’t break you Sylvie. In fact, I think he might in fact make you whole.” He said sagely.

“I—” Sylvie muttered out, but Peter interrupted her.

“You should get your suitcases, we have to check out in an hour.” He told her, kissing her head lightly before heading inside.

Sylvie remained firmly in place, too stunned by her father’s words to move. _He’s worth the fear. He makes her whole_. She knew all of this, she did, but it didn’t make it any less scary. She was even more determined to talk to him now, and the drive home when they had some space was probably the best place to do it.

“Sylvie” she heard Matt call as she turned around to see him walking towards her.

“Hey, I’m going to get packed up, do you want me to pack your things for you?” she asked, shaking herself out of her funk. The sooner they got going, the sooner they could work out this _kink_.

“I’m sorry.” Matt blurted out instead, as Sylvie quirked a brow.

“… for what?”

“I’m sorry if I’ve freaked you out with what I’ve said and done this weekend and I understand if this is all too much too soon, or too much at _all_ really.” He rambled. Sylvie didn’t know what to stay. What was it with people stunning her into silence this morning?

Matt sighed, seeing that his words weren’t computing with her, “Look, if you regret it, that’s ok – mean, it’s not _ok_ , cause I _don’t_ regret it and I—”

“I don’t regret it.” she interrupted, her face full of confusion. Did he really think that? Oh god, that really was _not_ her intention. She didn't mean for her fear to look like regret. _Dammit Sylvie, you’ve barely even started and you’re already screwing this up._

“… you don’t?” Matt asked quietly.

“No, _god_ no, I don’t regret it.” she insisted again as she took a step closer towards him. “I could never regret being with you.”

“You don’t regret it.” he repeated to himself for confirmation. This point of miscommunication was almost laughable. “Why were you so down this morning?”

“I think I got in my head a little.” She began. “I just – I’m afraid Matt. I’ve never had feelings this big for someone before and this is something I really don’t want to mess up because I can’t lose you in my life. I’ve lost so many people, but you? No, not you. I couldn’t take that.”

Matt’s eyes widened slightly. He really wasn’t expecting her fears to be _his_ fears – and he cursed himself for not realising it. They’d always been on the same page without even realising it.

“I’m afraid too.” He replied as he let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. “Given my track record with love, it sometimes feels like I’m cursed.” He said with a scoff. He knew how ridiculous it sounded, but sometimes he got into his head about it all and let himself believe it.

“Maybe you just haven’t been with the right person.” Sylvie suggested.

Matt nodded, “Until now. You have been the brightest spot in my life for the past few years Sylvie and I couldn’t handle losing you either. Everything I said the other night about why I loved you – it’s all true. Every last word. And I am so glad that we fell into this ruse” he said as Sylvie laughed, wiping a stray tear off her cheek. “Because it gave me the push I needed to get my head out of my ass and fight for my happiness. For _our_ happiness. I love you Sylvie Brett and I promise I’m going to make sure you know it everyday from here on out.”

Matt had barely gotten the end of his sentence out before Sylvie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tighter than she’d ever held anyone.

This was it. She knew it in her heart. He was _it_ for her.

And it was the best feeling in world.

She pulled her head back, keeping her arms securely around him, their eyes locking. The potential of their future together flashed across her mind and caused more tears to swell in her eyes.

“I love you. So much.” She told him with a slightly watery laugh that he returned.

“You want to get back to Chicago?”

 _“Please.”_ She insisted. Their life was in Chicago and she just wanted their life _together_ in Chicago to start now.

Matt grinned before he playfully lifted her up, causing her to laugh and wrap herself around him like a koala. Sylvie interspersed a few short kisses down his cheek between her laughs, glad to see her goofy Matt was back. Her laughter was infectious as he carried her inside, laughing himself and joking along with her as they went. They didn’t even register the questioning looks they were getting as they approached the stairs.

As Matt ascended the stairs, Sylvie looked up and caught the eye of her parents and Tom. They all beamed at her. She’d been so nervous about coming home this weekend. She’d been so nervous about her family making snide comments. But the smiles on their faces in that moment told her all that she needed to know. All they wanted was for Sylvie to be happy. As frustrating as how they expressed that could be, she knew they loved her so much, just like Matt had reminded her. She smiled back at them before hugging Matt tighter and burying her face in his neck.

Boy was she glad she brought him home.

* * *

Matt and Sylvie spent the next two days locked up in her apartment, enjoying the time they had to be alone together. It was a bubble they weren’t sure they ever wanted to come out of, but when Wednesday morning rolled around, they were surprisingly excited to get back to work.

They drove separately, trying to keep their relationship low key for now. They didn’t mind if people knew, but they didn’t want to shout it from the roof tops just yet either. They were still trying to find their footing now that they were back in Chicago, and they wanted to take the time to get this right on their own terms without the prying eyes of others.

That didn’t mean there still wouldn’t be prying eyes in the form of Stella Kidd.

When Matt walked into 51 that morning with a very obvious spring in his step, Stella immediately called him out.

“Hey! You’re here!” she greeted.

Matt frowned, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

 _“Maybe_ because you got back from Fowlerton on _Sunday_ and it is now _Wednesday_ and _you_ haven’t been _home._ ” She reminded him with raised eyebrows. She knew full well where he was, but she wanted to hear it from him.

Matt shrugged, “I’ve been busy.”

Stella narrowed her eyes. Of course Casey was playing it cool. But Brett… well, she couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it. She came into the lounge a few seconds later and smiled at her best friend.

“Hey” she greeted happily, sitting down at the table beside her.

“Hey yourself.” Stella responded. “How was your weekend?”

Sylvie grinned, “More than we bargained for.”

Sylvie shot Matt a knowing look. He smirked at her and let out a quiet, breathy laugh through his nose before walking towards the coffee machine.

That look was all the confirmation she needed that something had happened between them that weekend. She’d get the details whenever they were ready to tell them, but for now, she would bask in the triumph of her meddling.

“If you’ll excuse me.” She said as she stood from her chair. “Severide owes me $100.” She announced proudly before walking towards the door.

Sylvie and Matt frowned.

“For what?”


End file.
